JG26Irish_2
AH veteran
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2023
- Messages
- 169
- Reaction score
- 434
- Location
- United States
- Media
- 4
- Member of
- Bluegrass Safari Club
- Hunted
- RSA-Limpopo, KY, WV, TN, ND, SD, NM
Biltong Recipe - Traditional Recipe with a KY Flair
One of the best things I got to try in Africa was their Biltong made from game meat. While I was there I asked about the process of making it and below is the result. This recipe was handed down to me by my PH while sitting at the bar in his lodge. We were both well into the deep end of a bottle of fine bourbon at the time and as such some of the fine details had to be reconstructed, lol.
Any red meat will do. Venison, beef, Moose, Elk, Eland, Kudu, etc. I made my first batch with a large slab of sirloin that was about 1.5" thick. First sprinkle the meat liberally with Pink Himalayan salt. About one teaspoon per pound of meat. Plack on a rack with a drip pan underneath in the refrigerator and dry brine the meat for about 24hrs. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until it is firm but not fully frozen (a few hours). The freezing step is merely to aid in cutting the meat.
Next step is to slice the meat into long 1/2" to 3/4" thick strips. Use a sharp, non-serrated knife. Once sliced put all the meat into a one gallon ziplock bag with the marinade for 3-5 days. Marinade recipe:
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon pink salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Dash of white pepper
The marinade infuses the meat with flavor and also tenderizes it
Dry Rub Mix
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon pink salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 table spoons brown sugar
Dash of white pepper
Remove the meat from the marinade. Do not rinse! Pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Cloth is better. Dust all the meat strips liberally with the dry rub. At this point, if you live in a cool dry climate like South Africa, you can place the meat on a drying rack and let it air dry for 3-5 days depending upon how hard and dry you like your biltong. In my case the hot/humid summers of KY do not lend themselves well to this method. You can use a dehydrator if you have one or place it on a rack in the over at very low heat. Traditional biltong is not smoked in most cases.
In my case, I wanted to extra preservation of the smoke on the meat and it also provided a means to dry the biltong in a more or less controlled manner. A bit of trial and error are needed since each batch and each smoker may be a bit different. I used a Pitt Boss pellet smoker set to 190 deg F (the lowest setting) with a wood pellet blend of Oak, Cherry and Hickory woods. I smoked the meat for 1.5hr on one side and then turned it and smoked it for another 1.5hrs for a total of 3hrs. If I had it to do again, I would shorten that time to 1-1.25hr on each side as mine turned out slightly too dry the first time. I want a small tinge of pink in the middle. I got that on the larger thicker pieces but it was a bit too dry.
Once the product is dried, let it cool completely and then store it in a freezer bag for future use. It will keep in the freezer for several months. To serve, thaw out as much as you want and then slice across the grain with a sharp non-serrated knife into bite sized pieces. Serve with a nice citrus lime aioli or other dipping sauces of your liking.
Citrus lime aioli:
1/4 cup mayo
juice of 1 fresh lime
Lime zest from one lime
pinch of salt
dash of Worchestershire sauce
Pinch of dry ground coriander
Pinch of garlic
Dash of black pepper
sometimes I also add a squirt of maple syrup
Note: You can add horseradish, wine, spices or other items such as soy sauce, etc to your liking. I usually want to sauce to be mild so it does not overshadow the delicious biltong.
Note, I do not follow recipes to the letter and never measure my ingredients so the weights and measures are approximate at best and you will have to season to taste. If you get too much salt on the biltong it will ruin it but some is required to properly cure the meat. It is a very personal thing.
Place the finished product on a serving tray along with other tasty snacks and enjoy! If you happen to be lucky enough to attend the pre-opening day WV deer camp feast at our hunting cabin this year I will feed you some along with smoked venison snack sticks, venison/cheddar summer sausage, smoked ass-holes (a real WV delicacy), country ham and a selection of cheeses, crackers, olives and other snacks.
I am told that there are many, many different recipes for Biltong and that everyone has their own and some keep them very close to the vest. A quick search turned up several. Each different but mostly similar. Not all use the wet marinade. If you have one that you like and you are willing to share, please do so here.
One of the best things I got to try in Africa was their Biltong made from game meat. While I was there I asked about the process of making it and below is the result. This recipe was handed down to me by my PH while sitting at the bar in his lodge. We were both well into the deep end of a bottle of fine bourbon at the time and as such some of the fine details had to be reconstructed, lol.
Any red meat will do. Venison, beef, Moose, Elk, Eland, Kudu, etc. I made my first batch with a large slab of sirloin that was about 1.5" thick. First sprinkle the meat liberally with Pink Himalayan salt. About one teaspoon per pound of meat. Plack on a rack with a drip pan underneath in the refrigerator and dry brine the meat for about 24hrs. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it until it is firm but not fully frozen (a few hours). The freezing step is merely to aid in cutting the meat.
Next step is to slice the meat into long 1/2" to 3/4" thick strips. Use a sharp, non-serrated knife. Once sliced put all the meat into a one gallon ziplock bag with the marinade for 3-5 days. Marinade recipe:
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon pink salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Dash of white pepper
The marinade infuses the meat with flavor and also tenderizes it
Dry Rub Mix
1 teaspoon ground garlic
1 teaspoon pink salt
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 table spoons brown sugar
Dash of white pepper
Remove the meat from the marinade. Do not rinse! Pat dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Cloth is better. Dust all the meat strips liberally with the dry rub. At this point, if you live in a cool dry climate like South Africa, you can place the meat on a drying rack and let it air dry for 3-5 days depending upon how hard and dry you like your biltong. In my case the hot/humid summers of KY do not lend themselves well to this method. You can use a dehydrator if you have one or place it on a rack in the over at very low heat. Traditional biltong is not smoked in most cases.
In my case, I wanted to extra preservation of the smoke on the meat and it also provided a means to dry the biltong in a more or less controlled manner. A bit of trial and error are needed since each batch and each smoker may be a bit different. I used a Pitt Boss pellet smoker set to 190 deg F (the lowest setting) with a wood pellet blend of Oak, Cherry and Hickory woods. I smoked the meat for 1.5hr on one side and then turned it and smoked it for another 1.5hrs for a total of 3hrs. If I had it to do again, I would shorten that time to 1-1.25hr on each side as mine turned out slightly too dry the first time. I want a small tinge of pink in the middle. I got that on the larger thicker pieces but it was a bit too dry.
Once the product is dried, let it cool completely and then store it in a freezer bag for future use. It will keep in the freezer for several months. To serve, thaw out as much as you want and then slice across the grain with a sharp non-serrated knife into bite sized pieces. Serve with a nice citrus lime aioli or other dipping sauces of your liking.
Citrus lime aioli:
1/4 cup mayo
juice of 1 fresh lime
Lime zest from one lime
pinch of salt
dash of Worchestershire sauce
Pinch of dry ground coriander
Pinch of garlic
Dash of black pepper
sometimes I also add a squirt of maple syrup
Note: You can add horseradish, wine, spices or other items such as soy sauce, etc to your liking. I usually want to sauce to be mild so it does not overshadow the delicious biltong.
Note, I do not follow recipes to the letter and never measure my ingredients so the weights and measures are approximate at best and you will have to season to taste. If you get too much salt on the biltong it will ruin it but some is required to properly cure the meat. It is a very personal thing.
Place the finished product on a serving tray along with other tasty snacks and enjoy! If you happen to be lucky enough to attend the pre-opening day WV deer camp feast at our hunting cabin this year I will feed you some along with smoked venison snack sticks, venison/cheddar summer sausage, smoked ass-holes (a real WV delicacy), country ham and a selection of cheeses, crackers, olives and other snacks.
I am told that there are many, many different recipes for Biltong and that everyone has their own and some keep them very close to the vest. A quick search turned up several. Each different but mostly similar. Not all use the wet marinade. If you have one that you like and you are willing to share, please do so here.
