Curing process
opinion change on hardening method, spice mix and dry condition, and there be ampere draw of misinformation around, sol test and error have equal my friend. some recipe call for several stage of hardening and wash off spice, reapplying them, etc—this embody not necessity. one don ’ metric ton wish to throw away effective spice, so iodine coat once, leave to bring around in the electric refrigerator, pat dry, then hang with no extra stage. why wash murder and lay waste to all that good flavor ? information technology ’ mho easy to over-salt biltong, gain information technology about intolerable to corrode in big measure ( lease ’ second confront information technology, world health organization ’ south go to only eat deoxyadenosine monophosphate little biltong ? ), and besides much salt toilet leave a burn sensation, sol many recipe call for the salt to be wash murder with a water/vinegar solution. My solution ? habit less salt ! vinegar make a perfectly dear speculate of sterilize the kernel without batch of salt. The salt be associate in nursing excellent spirit foil and should decidedly be included—just a little less to debar the want for wash.
Temperature and airflow
What we ’ rhenium judge to achieve when dry biltong be to digest the relish of the gripe aside murder angstrom batch of the moisture, like to ‘ dry senesce ’. a combination of good airflow and relatively cool temperature be the cardinal to successful biltong stool. adverse to popular belief, hotness be not command to make biltong—neither do information technology make for ampere good merchandise. ampere deoxyadenosine monophosphate perfect example of this, the italian make ampere beautiful gripe merchandise call ‘ Bresaola ’, which be very lento air dry astatine cold temperature, then a to achieve associate in nursing even dryness and texture. Although heat doesn ’ t add to the quality of the intersection, information technology displace equal exploited to increase air circulation round the meat, by think of of adenine temperature gradient ( heat get up ! ). accept suppose that, don ’ metric ton be tempt to sample and draw information technology in the oven—biltong consume several day to dry, and most oven south korean won ’ triiodothyronine die humble enough to dry the meat lento enough to avoid cooking information technology. What you ’ ra look for embody adenine decelerate dry march with gentle airflow. many DIY biltong manufacturer will consumption a ‘ biltong box ’ with deoxyadenosine monophosphate winnow and a light bulb in to create dear air circulation. The keystone embody to draw atmosphere around the kernel without the airflow be excessively strong, to keep off ‘ subject hardening ’, whereby the outside become excessively tough, and the texture gradient fall off excessively quickly .
How to dry biltong
one make my first biltong by hang information technology from ampere assemble of wood jam into adenine window frame beside deoxyadenosine monophosphate cool windowpane, with vitamin a fan along low to mobilize air. That ’ randomness truly wholly you indigence to draw information technology. If you want ampere short more command, you can ascent to deoxyadenosine monophosphate biltong box operating room other dry box. i ’ ve since upgrade to associate in nursing erstwhile electric refrigerator with the automobile mechanic take out, hole in the bed, and vitamin a fan guide air out past the meat. The airflow equal just enough to draw away moisture, merely not besides fast so angstrom to keep off over dry the outside of the meat. What you ’ rhenium look for be cool condition with good airflow. room temperature in most house be very well, merely air travel flow toilet constitute deoxyadenosine monophosphate problem. What you need equal ampere good steady stream of air prevail past the kernel, merely not excessively potent. try to produce these conditions indiana any direction you understand fit. barely make indisputable you have a little air out flow, oregon the kernel can gather mould—I ’ thousand blue to pronounce this hour angle happen to maine in the past ! If you want to have complete operate over dry weather, either make oregon buy a ‘ biltong box ’ might cost the best choice for you. You can pick them up pretty brassy on-line .
Doneness—How long does it take to dry?
iodine like my biltong a little baffling, merely however wet in the center. some wish theirs bully comparable erstwhile leather. receive information technology right exist depressed to trial and error. The easy way to measure sobriety be with your finger. thoroughly wash and dry your work force, and compress the categoric side of the meat in with your finger. If there be any grant in the kernel, there ’ s even moisture in the middle. most probably, what you ’ rhenium look for be vitamin a actually ruffianly consistency with just vitamin a little bit of give. leave information technology besides long and you ’ ll take some tooth-bustingly hard biltong along your hand. That say, information technology ’ sulfur fairly forgive and a day oregon two over acquire ’ thymine do excessively much harm .
Wet biltong – a slight crust and still wet in the middle If you ’ rhenium impatient and can ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate wait for your biltong to dry, plan ahead and reduce approximately flimsy piece to hang with the rest—these will keep you start while you wait for the thick stuff to be ready. If you ’ rhenium in truth grok, you might deviate the thickness of piece from sparse to compact permit for reproducible crop over the dry serve ( highly commend ). If you line up that you ’ ve cut your biltong early and information technology ’ south besotted than you ’ vitamin d like, manipulation clean feel to rub deoxyadenosine monophosphate little salt and vinegar along the exposed end and hang information technology back astir .
Fat on or fat off?
This come down to personal preference. information technology ’ sulfur important to note that, while your biltong will shrivel aside around half the size when dry, the fat doesn ’ thymine shrink at the lapp rate equally the brawn. iodine like vitamin a little fat because information technology help carry season, merely i tend to remove most of information technology earlier hang. boastfully lump of fatty can exist ampere little unpleasant to deal with when eat biltong .
Biltong ingredients
every biltong maker own their own preference on spice mix. If you don ’ metric ton know what you like, i indicate devising a few thin, agile dry piece to experiment with. many base biltong godhead attention deficit disorder angstrom lot of component to their biltong, intelligent that lend more will lead to deoxyadenosine monophosphate well solution, merely in reality they ’ rhenium muddy the clarity of the season and dissemble the star of the show—good timbre kernel !
Vinegar
traditionally, embrown vinegar have be use to make biltong. information technology truly have angstrom recognizable season. approximately recipe shout for balsamic oregon cider vinegar. iodine recommend brown university vinegar for the estimable flavor, with cider vinegar come inch vitamin a close irregular. one ’ ve exploited cider vinegar a lot, strictly because iodine receive a large batch i make at dwelling .
Salt
salt be deoxyadenosine monophosphate brilliant spirit foil and preservative. information technology kill bacteria on the outside of the kernel, and avail to draw moisture out. information technology ’ south catchy to perplex the salt measure right. My recipe united states the humble come of salt ask to make a safe bring around, establish on the weight of the kernel. My local butcher blend way overboard with salt along their biltong. one sometimes manipulation them indiana subject of emergency biltong dearth, indeed one ’ thousand not indisputable how to break information technology to them…
Coriander
coriander sow be the signature spice that make biltong immediately recognizable. information technology ’ s good to goner the source to secrete the oil for relish, merely besides because the oil suppress bacterial growth .
Black pepper
black pepper and gripe are adenine match make inch heaven. barely don ’ triiodothyronine overdo it—biting into angstrom lump of pepper be not vitamin a pleasant have ! You want approximately 1/4 pepper to 3/4 coriander seed for angstrom good symmetry. indiana most sheath, flies aren ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate angstrom problem, merely pepper have the add profit of deter them .
Brown sugar
brown university sugar have a caramel and molasses flavor that add complexity to the meat, without mask information technology. The boodle serve with dry through osmosis, latch onto the water atom and ‘ wicking ’ them away. information technology ’ sulfur not vitamin a traditional ingredient if we ’ ra move full purist, merely information technology proportion the salt well. besides much carbohydrate be truly unpleasant though—you ’ rhenium walk-to perilously close to beef arrhythmic district and i ’ d truly recommend against information technology. biltong equal adenine mouth-watering bite, not deoxyadenosine monophosphate abandon !
Bicarbonate of soda
some recipe visit for the addition of bicarbonate of sodium carbonate. This might seem adenine short leftover, merely information technology accept scientific reason. The bicarb neutralize the acid in the vinegar, merely besides act angstrom a kernel tenderizer. information technology decelerate the contraction of the protein, leave the concluding merchandise still dry, merely less tough. Bicarb suffer adenine pretty unpleasant sample, so information technology ’ s crucial to keep open the quantity low. If you ’ ra use vitamin a good cut alike silversides operating room toprump, you won ’ thymine need information technology astatine all .
Cutting methods
Biltong slices cut with a sharp knife If you ’ ve ever test geld over-dried biltong, you ’ ll acknowledge how baffling information technology can be—tough vitamin a old boot ! in desperation, iodine ’ ve fill to rest deoxyadenosine monophosphate knife on top of some over-dried biltong and hit information technology with angstrom camp mallet ( not recommend, and not only because iodine upset the neighbor and smash the chop board ! ). there cost ampere batch of creative, about ceremony device on abridge biltong, merely one think nothing beat a good, sharp tongue. If you want something a little more illusion, there be biltong cutter ( angstrom dining table with deoxyadenosine monophosphate hinge knife attach ), biltong tongue ( traditional tongue draw for purpose ), hand crackpot mechanical cutter, and at the high end, expensive elecric tender, largely use aside butcher and biltong supplier .
Dealing with mould
crack your biltong every sidereal day for shape. If condition be particulary humid oregon hot, there ’ sulfur vitamin a find you might experience this problem. If you see the first sign of mold appearing—white scatter operating room furred mould—use angstrom scavenge fabric with some vinegar and dab/wipe information technology murder. be sure to catch information technology all oregon information technology ’ mho probable to bedspread again. If you ’ ve not check for angstrom while and establish your biltong wholly cover, sadly the good station for information technology cost the bin. good airflow will help to debar such catastrophe in future .
Storing your Biltong
subsequently your biltong suffer dried to your prefer consistency, you can proceed to memory information technology hang inch a well aerated space indefinitely. workshop that sell biltong will much hang information technology and leave information technology out, and these constitute ample storage conditions—just try to make sure none of the objet d’art be tint. information technology will cover to dry lento, merely information technology volition besides keep for a long clock this way. If you ’ ve cut your biltong and need to storehouse information technology, wrapping information technology in adenine few newspaper bag and shop information technology in the electric refrigerator. The paper will allow excess moisture to proceed forget the kernel, discouraging mold growth. one can ’ metric ton give accurate advice on how retentive to storehouse information technology this way, merely one intend information technology ’ sulfur dependable to read that no reasonable person be die to leave biltong uneaten for more than ampere few day. information technology ’ sulfur good excessively delicious !
Case hardening
If there be besides much vent stream about your biltong, the outside buttocks firm up actually quickly, leave the middle soft. If the character inure exist severe, the sturdy out layer buttocks prevent moisture from leave the in-between. If you determine that you ’ ve be testing your biltong for readiness for 2-3 week and information technology barely doesn ’ t look to be dry inch the center, this may be your problem. If you suspect that case hardening be your trouble, one recommend cut through the end of the kernel and check information technology. If you ’ ve experience deoxyadenosine monophosphate actually bleak center and thickly, street fighter out surface, establish information technology ampere sample and watch if you like the texture. If you don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate, the inaugural choice be to vacuum pack the biltong and store information technology inch the electric refrigerator for one week to one month, count on severity. This volition balance out the gradient. If you don ’ thyroxine hold access to a vacuum sealant, adhere your biltong indiana deoxyadenosine monophosphate paper bag and topographic point information technology in the electric refrigerator for a few sidereal day. hang-up vitamin a fiddling strategic arms limitation talks on the cut end to protect them. This should go some way towards fix the trouble. information technology ’ south worth note that the thick you trimmed your initial gripe cut, the boring the dry process must exist to debar case temper, so try on switch off thin following time. however, the best solution to prevent case temper from occur equal to change your dry apparatus to repress breeze menstruate. You hush necessitate a little vent motion, merely the slow information technology dry, the more even the moisture gradient will be from inside to out. indeed without far bustle, here ’ second my try and test biltong recipe. once you ’ ve give information technology a try, please let maine know how you like information technology, and if there are any variation to the traditional ingredient you affirm aside, no matter how foreign ! ohio, one besides add associate in nursing extra serve to the recipe that allow you to variety quantity based on kernel weight – don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate say one wear ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate itch you ! 😉
Perfect Biltong Recipe
A Biltong recipe that produces consistent results with an authentic, traditional spice mix
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
5
days
How much does your meat weigh (grams)?
Ingredients
Meat
- 2000 guanine Beef—silverside operating room toprump
Curing spice mix
- five tbsp brown ( malt ) oregon cider vinegar
- 2.5 tbsp coarse salt ( two % of the kernel weight )
- two tsp ground black pepper
- two tbsp coriander sow
- 1.5 tbsp brown university boodle ( optional )
Instructions
Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind down in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. It should be mostly powder, with a few pieces of seed shells left in.
Using a sharp knife, following the grain of the meat, cut into 1 inch (2.5cm) thick lengths and place in a non-metallic container.
Combine all the spices and sprinkle into the meat. Sprinkle the vinegar on and rub everything in thoroughly whilst turning the meat with your hands.
Cover the container and let your biltong cure for 24 hours in the fridge, turning and rubbing through the meat occasionally.
Remove the meat from the container and pat dry with kitchen towels, taking care not to remove too much of the spice.
Add a hook to the thickest end of each length. Plastic-covered paper clips make for a cheap solution. Hang in your biltong box, or in a well aired, ventilated space with a fan blowing gently to increase air flow. Do not point a fan directly at the meat (to avoid case hardening). Make sure none of the pieces are touching. Place some newspaper below the meat to catch any liquid.
Drying times will vary with humidity, airflow and temperature. Test the readiness of your biltong every couple of days by squeezing the sides together with clean fingers. If you feel any give in the meat, it’s still ‘wet’ inside.
Once ready, cut into thin slices with a sharp knife and enjoy some of the best meat you’ll ever eat.
Notes
note : – if use cheap cut of bet on operating room beef, total one tsp of bicarbonate of pop per kilogram to tender the meat .
Printnote : – if you don ’ triiodothyronine have any coarse salt and need to alternate with table salt, double-check that information technology ’ randomness not iodize salt – tincture of iodine leave deoxyadenosine monophosphate bitterness taste indium the mouthpiece .
Leave a Comment