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Hi anybody got ideas on making biltong!Which is the best cut of beef?
Toadflax
05-12-2009, 07:36
I haven't tried them yet, but have a look on the River Cottage site, as they have a couple of biltong recipes (one by HF-W and one on a forum) that I was going to try. I think they suggest silverside.
When I've done jerky, I've tended to use a piece of sirloin, not the cheapest bit of beef, but certainly a lot cheaper than buying jerky or biltong.
Main thing is for the meat to be lean, otherwise the fat will go rancid.
Geoff
This was on the River Cottage programme on Thursday. You should be able to watch it on 4OD.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/river-cottage/4od#3012492
Toadflax
05-12-2009, 07:47
Just found this link:
http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall/biltong-recipe_p_1.html
and this recipe:
http://community.rivercottage.net/users/weezil/forums/processing-and-other-crafts/viewtopic/topic_id:38
Geoff
I always used silverside or topside.
In SouthAfrica I usually made it in the winter, dries out better, but here in the UK you can aid the drying with a fan and a light bulb.
Salt, vinnegar, cloves, black pepper and biltong spice.
Remember to leave it stacked overnight to let the spices seep into the meat.
My friend tried the HFW recipe last weekend and says it's WAY too salty and just a bit odd... she thought there might have been a typo? Anyone got a tried and tested recipe for biltong or jerky they'd like to share? There was some AMAZING Jerky being shared round the fire at Naughty Corner at the moot... really lovely mix of hot sweet and salty... Unfortunately I'd pickled myself to the extent that I can't remember who made it... :o
Would be really chuffed to get the recipe though... would perfom embarrassing dances or participate in ritual humiliation for the privelage... ;)
Well when or if it happens could i have a video of it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Certainly. But first I will be needing a first class recipe. :D
Everything Mac
12-12-2009, 13:56
My friend tried the HFW recipe last weekend and says it's WAY too salty and just a bit odd... she thought there might have been a typo? Anyone got a tried and tested recipe for biltong or jerky they'd like to share? There was some AMAZING Jerky being shared round the fire at Naughty Corner at the moot... really lovely mix of hot sweet and salty... Unfortunately I'd pickled myself to the extent that I can't remember who made it... :o
Would be really chuffed to get the recipe though... would perfom embarrassing dances or participate in ritual humiliation for the privelage... ;)
i love jerky!
i make mine by slicing cheap steak thinly with the grain.
i marinade in a mix of
*that much* soy sauce
*that much* Worcester sauce
some paprika
onion granules
garlic powder
maybe some pepper.
im sorry i dont have exact measurements - but i make just enough marinade to lubricate the meat.
leave it an hour or so then hang in the oven for about 5 or 6 hours.
lovely stuff.
i meant to do a cook along with pics a while back.
andy
Thank you :) and don't worry about measurements, I don't cook like that either... I'm beginning to think it might be fun to just buy a big lump of meat and experiment in small batches... I want a bit of a kick... and a bit of sweetness along with all the savoury flavours... What do you think the effect of using fresh garlic? I cook for a living, and have an inbuilt aversion to the dried stuff, but have never preserved meat like this before... One way to find out I guess...
I have just prepped a batch and it's in the marinade in the fridge overnight till tomorrow when it will go in the dehydrator.
My marinade is
chilliflakes ground through a pepper type grinder - lots
black pepper - more :D
a good glug of balsamic vinager
a glug of Worcester sauce
paprika
seasonal salt
garlic powder
all measurements in a kinda 'that looks enough / i'll add a bit more kinda way ;)
Everything Mac
12-12-2009, 17:30
Thank you :) and don't worry about measurements, I don't cook like that either... I'm beginning to think it might be fun to just buy a big lump of meat and experiment in small batches... I want a bit of a kick... and a bit of sweetness along with all the savoury flavours... What do you think the effect of using fresh garlic? I cook for a living, and have an inbuilt aversion to the dried stuff, but have never preserved meat like this before... One way to find out I guess...
i was unsure about using the dried ingredients too - but i think they stick to the meat better rather than just imparting the flavour.
best of luck
andy
Everything Mac
14-12-2009, 19:35
just made a batch of jerky last night!
i marinated the meat in a mix of sweet chilly sauce and soy sauce!
it was sweet and hot!
the batch lasted an hour! :D
sooooooo nice!
British Red
14-12-2009, 19:50
Certainly. But first I will be needing a first class recipe. :D
Here is my way Iona - I hope it helps
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18785
Red
Hi all i am glad i have brought up the topic because it has given me some good ideas with flavours.Thanks again nice to hear from you all!!!!!!!!!!
kev
harlequin
17-12-2009, 23:38
I make biltong quite regularly and it always goes down a treat!
Get your meat (especially when there's two for one in your supermarket!) silverside is usually the best. buy the biggest bit you can afford, as the oven will be on all that time anyway , you'd be as well fill it!
Prepare the brine mix.
For a large joint, 2 -3 Kg, use about two packets/tubes of ROCK salt. Do not use any other type (I talk from experience!), a big handful of brown sugar and as much ground coriander seeds as you want, probably more. Ground coriander seed flavour is the authentic mark of SA biltong. Grind some pepper in, until your hands get tired using the pepper mill!
Cut your meat into approx. 2cm width and breadth and as long as the joint is.
Trim all fat and sinew that you can see (this pays big dividends in the long run!).
Chuck it in the brine mix.
Brine for about 45 MINUTES/60 MAX. Forget any recipe that you might google that says 'brine for 3 hours' the result is unpalatably salty (this I also talk from experience - several times!).
Prepare the 'wash'.
In a large bowl add a bottle of red wine vinegar, maybe two. Top up with water if there is not enough. Add seasoning liquids e.g. worcestershire sause; tabasco; liquid smoke etc. This will be your stamp of individualidity, don't skimp!
Wash the salt carefully from the meat in the sink or a running tap, making sure you don't miss any, and then put it into the 'wash', massage in the meat to get the flavours in there.
Make a spice mix (optional but makes it 100% better)
Grind up a handful of black peppercorns and three, yes that's right three handfuls of ground coriander seeds. roll the meat in this mix after you have drained it from the wash. You'll get the idea once you run out of spice mix halfway through doing it how much you actually need! But then again you can now experience the difference between the 'spiced' ones and the plain ones.
Stick a cocktail stick through the very end of it and hang it from an oven shelf located at the highest point you can in the oven. Stick your oven on at the lowest setting and leave the door slightly ajar. Wooden spoons come in handy here!
depending on how you like your biltong drying times will vary. I like mine dry (keeps better and tastes better!) so approx 24 hours. If you like it wet just keep trying little pieces until you like the taste (wet, it tastes more like liver).
Shave VERY thinly and enjoy with an ice cold beer!
PS look out for the biltong mites once you make it!
My house has an unbelievable infestation of them!
Make a load and next morning when you come down half of it's gone!
Enjoy :)
Asa Samuel
18-12-2009, 11:10
harlequin, if I didn't live in a house full of vegetarians - and therefore can't put meat in the oven - I would be making that right now!
harlequin
19-12-2009, 08:24
Asa samuel,
Three words.....
Cardboardbox, lightbulb, shed! :approve:
Or if you don't have one yourself, a mate's shed.
:)
sparkplug
31-12-2009, 09:19
I also use topside/silverside of beef usually but have experimented with other meats.
Venison works very well as do other lean red meats (e.g. horse) I've used haunch and rump respectively.
It's good fun and produces a great product.
Here's a tip you might not find on most recipes:
If you've kept your biltong too long and it's become too tough to slice, wrap it in a damp cotton cloth and leave it somewhere warm overnight. Hey presto - you have sliceable biltong in the morning without impairing the flavour...
IanGilroy_2
07-01-2010, 00:27
The way we did it turned out well the marinade was simple.
salt 1/2 tsp
black pepper 2 tsp
glug lea & perrins
red wine to cover
we used a mixture of sirloin and (wing yip) flank pad reffered to in our house as cows a**e cheek. :)
We marinaded it over night. then hung it in the hall for 5days and voila biltong.
(hall being out reach of the furry meat thieves, better known as cats)
memoryweaver
10-02-2010, 10:23
A couple of months ago, I prepared a detailed biltong making tutorial (http://memoryweaver.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/homemade-do-it-yourself-biltong-part-1-preparation/) - I'm salting for 3 hours, but the salt is quite course, and is washed off afterwards. I have a very low salt tolerance, but this is fine, unless you try eating too much of it! The biltong carries on 'curing' for few days after drying and the flavours mellow nicely. The meat also needs to be in pretty thick pieces, or the salt will over-penetrate.
I like to try it out very thoroughly -- it takes about 3 to 4 days at 34 degrees in the fan oven. It's very difficult to cut though, but nicely satisfying to chew.
Found a nice diy dehydrator a couple of weeks back, all you need is an old tv/monitor, a lamp, a wire coathanger, and some tin foil. I guess if you wanted to really do it on the cheap then you could hit freecycle and find plenty of telly's and lamps.
http://biltongbell.blogspot.com/