South African Themed stuff

Biltong

Lets go a bit deeper into the wonderful snack which is called Biltong

So Biltong is a form of , meat that originated in South-Africa , Botswana and Namibia.  A Range of different tipes of meat is used, ranging from beef and game meats to fillets  of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain.

 It is also related to beef jerky  in the way  both are spiced, dried meats; however, the typical ingredients, taste and production processes differ a lot. Biltong is just so much better 

The common ingredients that go into BIltong are

Meat (Obviously)

Black Pepper

Coriander

Salt 

Vinegar 

Biltong is Most commonly made from Beef today in South Africa due to the cheaper prices and availability of the meat . Game biltong is a bit harder to find. Typically game like Springbok (Not to be confused with our rugby team) , kudu and wilderbeest would be used to make Biltong. 

PREPARATION

Traditionally Biltong would only be made in the winter due to the colder weather that makes bacterial growth at its minimum.  Some recipes require the meat to be in a vinegar solution (grape vinegar is traditional but balsamic and cider also work very well) for a few hours, then the vinegar is poured off before the meat is flavoured with salt and spices. The spice mix is sprinkled liberally over the meat and rubbed in. Saltpetre  is optional and can be added as an extra preservative (necessary only for wet biltong that is not going to be frozen). The meat should then be left for a further few hours (or refrigerated overnight) and any excess liquid poured off before the meat is hung in the dryer.

Other recipes, which were handed down from generation to generation, require the biltong to be left overnight in the vinegar, salt, and spice solution (between 12 and 24 hours).The spice mix traditionally consists of equal amounts of rock salt , whole coriander(slightly roasted), roughly ground black pepper, and brown sugar. The vinegar serves as a primary inhibitor of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, according to WHO (World Health Organisation); while the salt, coriander, pepper, and cloves all have antimicrobial properties.

Drying Process

  A traditional slow dry will deliver a medium cure in about four days. An electric fan-assisted oven set to 40–70 °C (100–160 °F), with the door open a fraction to let out moist air, can dry the meat in approximately four hours. Although oven dried is ready to eat a day or two after preparation, traditional biltong makers still consider slow dried meat to be safer and of superior quality 

Comparison to beef jerky 

Biltong differs from in three distinct ways:

The meat used in biltong can be much thicker due to the slower drying time in dry air conditions; typically biltong meat is cut in strips approximately 1" (25 mm) wide – but can be thicker. Jerky is normally very thin meat.The vinegar, salt and spices in biltong, together with the drying process , cure the meat as well as adding texture and flavour. Jerky is traditionally dried with salt but without vinegar.Jerky is often smoked; biltong is never smoked.