Originally posted by GUB So how do you consume it Mark? as chewing sticks or part of your cuisine? Apart from taking a bit of jerky tramping occasionally it not not part of my diet.
Usually, I prefer to buy whole sticks of biltong and we slice those thinly, a bit at a time for freshness, and eat as a snack as one would eat any other snack such as chips.
Can also be cut into thicker chunks which makes for a more chewy experience. Finely sliced, its absolutely magic with butter on fresh bread and it can even be used as a pizza topping.
In high humidity environments biltong can go moldy if not stored in a cool, dry and ventilated space but the mold can be rubbed off with a vinegar rag and the biltong hung up to dry.
Making it is super easy (and I have done it using the following traditional recipe) but I tend to simply buy it. The following recipe is for 25kg of beef or venison:
750g of salt
180g sugar
20g saltpeter (potassium nitrate) (If you can't get hold of it, then increase the salt by 100g)
20g baking soda
10g peper
120g coriander, whole crushed
other spices to taste
Some vinegar
Cut deboned meat into strips 70x20mm, or smaller. Rub the salt and spice mixture into the meat. Pack the meat strips onto a plastic, glass or earthenware dish or dishes of suitable size. Do not use metal dishes - even stainless steel. After forming one tightly packed layer, sprinkle a bit of vinegar over the layer and start packing in the next layer. Leave overnight in a cool dry place, about 8 hours but not longer than 12 hours. In summer, place in the fridge for up to 12 hours.
Next, make a small hole so as to tie a short bit of string to have a loop to hang the strip of meat up from little wire hooks. Hang the biltong strips in the sun for a few hours and thereafter in the shade, inside a fly-proof enclosure. Alternatively, hang indoors in a fly proof space. A breeze is preferred, so a windy area is good, alternatively, if indoors, then run a few fans. Some people build a drying box or boxes from plastic crates or an old fridge or steel lockers with a hanging space and a drip tray and a fan to keep air movement going.
The biltong will be dry enough to eat after about 3 days to a week depending on conditions. Winter is, by far, the best time to make it as that reduces the risk of fly infestation. Obviously, some people like it drier than others. Once dry-ish it can be frozen to prevent it drying out more.