# Hunting > Game Cooking and Recipes >  Hein's Biltong Recipe and Dryer box

## HeinB

Hi guys, here is the biltong recipe as promised, with some pictures showing the steps.







And here is some pics showing the process, I took these minutes ago while doing my latest batch. This is about 2.5kg of beef rump steak

Step 1 : Soaking the meat in the vinegar and worchester sauce solution for about 25 minutes:



Step 2 : Cover the bottom of the dish in spice mix and start layering the meat:



Step 3 : Repeat . . .



Step 4 : All done, ready to cover in glad wrap in leave in the fridge for 8 hours:



A pic showing how the spice mix looks for reference:





I will add some pictures later when I've hung the biltong in the cabinet. Post to follow showing cabinet.

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## HeinB

OK, so you've had a quick browse through the recipe above and decided that it really doesn't look that hard, first step is probably to set up a drying cabinet of some sort. I built the cabinet pictured out of a cheap two door cabinet from Bunnings and some bits I had lying around at home. The basic idea of this cabinet is that the lamp at the bottom heats up air, this hot air can hold more moisture and so it draws moisture out of the meat hanging above it. The fan on the side then blows this moist air out of the box and fresh 'dry' air gets sucked in through the little filters at the bottom. Easy peasy, here are some pics:

Outside of the cabinet showing the filters, these are just computer filters from jaycar, any simple air filter will do.



Inside of the cabinet you can see the two plastic conduit rails for hanging the meat from and the 100w lamp down the bottom. 



Computer fan set up such that it blows air out of the cabinet



100W Bulb and some newspaper, the meat 'drips' a bit for the first day or so, so good to have some newspaper on the bottom. Also note all the 'extra' holes in the cabinet were covered with some duct tape.



I just use some plastic coated garden plant support twist ties to hang the meat, cheap easy and effective.




Many people are afraid to tackle making biltong because they have the perception that you are working with raw meat and if you do it wrong it will either rot or end up giving them food poisoning. I am happy to set the record straight - It's practically impossible to stuff it up as long as you stick roughly to recipe and process. I have made literally hundreds of kilos using the recipe and box above and have never had a single issue. It's one of those things that is actually really difficult to get wrong.

Good luck and pop through any questions.

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## Toby

Nice work. Can you use certain cuts of meat to make it easier to eat when it has been dried out?

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## Twoshotkill

Now that is the Bizzo!
cheers Hein B
does non fat venison work ok?

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## Raging Bull

Thank you *HeinB*.

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## HeinB

Toby and OneShotKill, you can use any reasonable cut to make the biltong, I even made some goat biltong once, which turned out really good actually. I wouldn't bother using smaller sinewy muscles as they will just turn into unchewable sinewy biltong. Meat without fat works fine, it will probably last even longer on the shelf, but just like all other food, the fat makes it taste a bit nicer  :Have A Nice Day:  

When you  dry the biltong it doesn't have to be bone dry, the meat will turn very dark after a few days in the dryer and I usually start eating mine after about a week in the dryer, at this point the outside is quite dry, but the inside middle still a little bit pink.

I will usually consume the 1.5kg or so of biltong within a few weeks, but it will happily last for months in the cupboard if you keep it dry. Alternatively you can also put the biltong in the freezer in which case it will last pretty much indefinitely.

I hung mine at about 10 last night, will take a few pictures a bit later on today and upload them.

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## HeinB

The recipe above does not mention where to get some roasted crushed coriander, which is hellishly expensive if  you buy it the wrong way. I usually buy a kg at a time of raw dry coriander seeds from the indian bulk food shop in Glenfield, I then heat up a fry pan and when it's super hot I cover it in the coriander seeds about 3 seeds deep. Stir the seeds, the objective is to roast them. You will see they start changing color, going quite dark brown (after a few minutes) and then eventually you will have some smoke coming off. Turn off the heat at this point and start crushing them, back in the early days I used to crush them in a plastic container using another piece of plastic, but these days I use a mortar and pestle which gets the job done a bit quicker. While crushing the coriander you will smell the most amazing thing, it's fantastic.

As an aside, this roasted crushed coriander mixed with some pepper corns and chilli powder or flakes makes a great beef spice for bbqs.

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## HeinB

Here is a pic of the biltong hanging in the cabinet, at this point it has been hanging for about 12 hours, I will take another picture in a few days to show how it's darkened up.

Notice how it's gone quite brown from the original red.

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## Toby

Looks nice

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## Raging Bull

Do you not have the light on full time?

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## HeinB

> Do you not have the light on full time?


Yep, you could look at some different heat source if the power consumption worries you. If it's a nice dry hot day then just moving air over the meat will work fine, but Auckland is usually wet and humid, so I just leave the bulb on 24/7 for the first week or so.

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## Twoshotkill

Does it smell at all?
I dont have a shed all i have is a 20ft shipping container for the moment and it gets pretty hot in there when the sun hits it. will this matter? does the air need to be "fresh" or can i recycle the air in the container?

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## HeinB

> Does it smell at all?
> I dont have a shed all i have is a 20ft shipping container for the moment and it gets pretty hot in there when the sun hits it. will this matter? does the air need to be "fresh" or can i recycle the air in the container?


I do mine in the workshop which is shut overnight and you can definitely smell it for the first few days, makes me hungry working in the workshop during the day!!! During the day if the weather is good I just leave the door open to get a bit of circulation. If I make it in the depths of winter I will also run the dehumidifier in the workshop for the first couple of days, this dries the air during the time when most of the moisture is drawn out of the meat.

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## paddygonebush

Would using a dehydrator work?

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## HeinB

It couldn't hurt chucking 1 or 2 pieces in  a dehydrator to see how it goes. Even eating it on day 1 without drying wont kill you because the meat has been cured with the vinegar and salt. I assume the dehydrator basically just does the same thing as the box, heating air and blowing it over the items to dehydrate ? If that is the case,  if it has settings then just try it on the lowest setting. How big is a typical dehydrator ? Could you put 2kg of beef in it ?

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## Toby

Our dehydrator is pretty small dont think it will get close to 2kg maybe 1kg if im lucky, i had it in for too long it went too hard to even chew.

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## MassiveAttack

> Our dehydrator is pretty small dont think it will get close to 2kg maybe 1kg if im lucky, i had it in for too long it went too hard to even chew.


All is not lost.  Slice it thinly.  I have done biltong in a dehydrator before.

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## HeinB

Update on the biltong: 

Has been in the box for about a week now, this is how it looks:


Cut one up, still a bit too red on the inside for my liking, but very tasty:

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## scottrods

I made up a batch last night using Hein's recipe and method modified for the dehydrator. I halved the meat qty and everything else except for the 1L of hot water at the end. Set the dehydrator to "1" and turned it on this morning at 6am. It was completely done at 5pm this evening when I came home from work. 

Awesome.

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## lost

Any pics of the finished product *scottsrod*, or was it too good? Haha

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## HeinB

That's awesome Scottrods, might have to look at getting a dehydrator now.

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## scottrods

bagged up in 250g amount for day's worth of food on a trip

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## HeinB

For my hunting trips I usually do 250g bags for lunch too, keeps you going and also replaces the salts lost through sweating. Good stuff mate.

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## savagehunter

That's freaking epic HeinB. Great thread, I am so making one of those cabinets and trying this out!  :Thumbsup:

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## Bill999

now if I just screwed my Smokai to the side of that drying box we would have an awesome tool

very cool, iv done thin little strips in the dehydrator before and they were great, we didnt flavor it tho, Id say that would be nicer

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## Kiwi Sapper

> I made up a batch last night using Hein's recipe and method modified for the dehydrator..................


Nice, would you be so kind as to name the brand and model of your dehydrator?

Thank you.

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## scottrods

Sunbeam.

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## Kiwi Sapper

> Sunbeam.


Ever so much, Ta, I have one of those and have been using it with .5cm beef slices but your report has encouraged me to experiment with some of our home kill of a "greater calibre".

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## Russian 22.

Thread resurrection.

Anyone had much success with the old oven on low heat?

Internet suggests that it works. But the mum in law isn't so keen on some goat or meat in her dehydrator.

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## Tommy

I went to uni with young Hein. He was easily top of our year, bloody nice guy too. A loss to the forum as he hasn't visited since 2013 it seems




> Thread resurrection.
> 
> Anyone had much success with the old oven on low heat?
> 
> Internet suggests that it works. But the mum in law isn't so keen on some goat or meat in her dehydrator.


Two beer crates, thick paper, and a staple gun. You can make this for $10 in 20 mins mate, you're supposed to be a tradie in the making!

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## Russian 22.

> I went to uni with young Hein. He was easily top of our year, bloody nice guy too. A loss to the forum as he hasn't visited since 2013 it seems
> 
> 
> 
> Two beer crates, thick paper, and a staple gun. You can make this for $10 in 20 mins mate, you're supposed to be a tradie in the making!


Maybe he'll get an email from Tapatalk?

Hahaha work smarter not harder 

I suppose I could use a spare heat pump at work and then have a hell of a lot of capacity!

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## Sideshow

Made this up out of an extractor fan and an plastic clip on box.
Bulb in the bottom.
Added a vent pipe out through the garage soffit to keep the wife happy :Thumbsup:

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## homebrew.357

Hell this really needs looking into, with the warm cabinet while the meats getting sunburned could put the homebrew barrel in with fermenting brew and along side the fish smoker!!. Just think, slight Smokey biltong washed down with a Smokey pale ale, way to go, I`m dribbling every where.  :Yum:

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## Blisters

wonder what happened to Hein

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## Preacher

> Thread resurrection.
> 
> Anyone had much success with the old oven on low heat?
> 
> Internet suggests that it works. But the mum in law isn't so keen on some goat or meat in her dehydrator.


Yep oven on lowest you can with fan going and door slightly ajar (wooden spoon or like)  works well but is painful to watch, definitely don't try while hungry.

Takes quite a while but house smells awesome.  I skewer the strips with toothpicks and hang between racks.  Rotate around occasionally.

Good for a miserable wet Sunday, marinade night before and just let it run till you have how you like.

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## Preacher

@Sideshow I made one of those the same but haven't bothered with lamp.  Goes in room while heat pump is already in use.  Will put light in it eventually though.  Still seems to do the job.

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## Russian 22.

That's the result of a boned out rear leg of a goat.

Dried it at 70 degrees for 14.5 hours with my flat mates dehydrator.

I think next time I will use the same recipe as hein. Needs something like the vinegar to take away some of the goat taste and then something strong.

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## Tommy

> That's the result of a boned out rear leg of a goat.
> 
> Dried it at 70 degrees for 14.5 hours with my flat mates dehydrator.
> 
> I think next time I will use the same recipe as hein. Needs something like the vinegar to take away some of the goat taste and then something strong.


Try slicing it up thinly, across the grain, then put on top of pizza. It's sensational

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## johnd

I have made one out of a cardboard box with a broom handle stuck through to hang galv wire hooks from.
An old computer fan to drive air through it, no need for the heat from a bulb.

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## Russian 22.

> Try slicing it up thinly, across the grain, then put on top of pizza. It's sensational


I will grab a few bases and give it a go  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Tommy

I believe @stretch works with a mate of Heins

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## i41do2

Damn that looks awesome.
should be a fun project to attempt with the kids

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## Beaker

> Hell this really needs looking into, with the warm cabinet while the meats getting sunburned could put the homebrew barrel in with fermenting brew and along side the fish smoker!!. Just think, slight Smokey biltong washed down with a Smokey pale ale, way to go, I`m dribbling every where.


This is the idea of the year!

I need photos of the resulting contraption. 

And I'll even supply the fish for testing purpose's.....

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## Got Juice?

> That's the result of a boned out rear leg of a goat.
> 
> Dried it at 70 degrees for 14.5 hours with my flat mates dehydrator.
> 
> I think next time I will use the same recipe as hein. Needs something like the vinegar to take away some of the goat taste and then something strong.


That goat looks damn delicious!!!  Making me drool all over the place.

I am thinking cheap tequila and Worchesteshire sauce and some good old HP sauce would be killer combo

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## Russian 22.

> That goat looks damn delicious!!!  Making me drool all over the place.
> 
> I am thinking cheap tequila and Worchesteshire sauce and some good old HP sauce would be killer combo


Yeah it's good. I'll probably eat it all this weekend and make some more closer to my next trip.

That's a great idea!

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## Preacher

> That goat looks damn delicious!!!  Making me drool all over the place.
> 
> I am thinking cheap tequila and Worchesteshire sauce and some good old HP sauce would be killer combo


Oh heelll yes that does sound good.

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## Got Juice?

> Yeah it's good. I'll probably eat it all this weekend and make some more closer to my next trip.
> 
> That's a great idea!


I have 2 meat goats yet to process, let me know if it turns out well!!!!

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## Russian 22.

> I have 2 meat goats yet to process, let me know if it turns out well!!!!


I am all out of goat! I am doing a pig hunt this Sunday so will bring some buck shot and do a side goat mission.

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## Beaker

> That goat looks damn delicious!!!  Making me drool all over the place.
> 
> I am thinking cheap tequila and Worchesteshire sauce and some good old HP sauce would be killer combo


Cheap tequila in relation to anything good, is very oxymoronic........

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## Got Juice?

> Cheap tequila in relation to anything good, is very oxymoronic........


Yeah but it works so damn well.  Good tequila just doesn't work as well, and is a terrible waste of good hooch

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## Russian 22.

Trying red Thai curry paste on some diced up rear leg. Hopefully it gets rid of the goat flavour.

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## i41do2

Made some biltong last week using this recipe
Used a topside cut from the last red hind I got
First crack at it 
Its great
Thanks Hein B where ever you may be

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## ROKTOY

Workmates decided we should give it a crack.
The local Recycle centre provided a 400 x400 x600mm scruffy cupboard. A bit of old stock repurposed from the maintenance dept. got us up and running.
We have used silverside and topside steak, topside wasn't too successful due to the meat grain running the wrong way.
The best result we have had is using beef schnitzel. It dries in 4 days and is reasonably stringy so is for good chewing. 
A trial with a cajun beef rub worked well too.


Sent from my SM-G390Y using Tapatalk

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## kotuku

mate of mine i used to duckshoot with luved the stuff always chewing on it .im not so keen on chilli though ,but must admit his product was good .only prob though was it gave me wind and some very malodorous at that ,causing his nibs to wonder if i was dead and decaying already.
 could you put chicken or duck through this process??

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## mimms

> could you put chicken or duck through this process??


Any meat my bro. I've done rabbit and possum. Beef is traditional. Haven't tried poultry myself but butcher used to. Not as chewey.

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## 25 /08 IMP

> Workmates decided we should give it a crack.
> The local Recycle centre provided a 400 x400 x600mm scruffy cupboard. A bit of old stock repurposed from the maintenance dept. got us up and running.
> We have used silverside and topside steak, topside wasn't too successful due to the meat grain running the wrong way.
> The best result we have had is using beef schnitzel. It dries in 4 days and is reasonably stringy so is for good chewing. 
> A trial with a cajun beef rub worked well too.
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G390Y using Tapatalk


So does it have a fan or a vent in the top to let the heat out.
I'm keen to have a crack at this as well.

Sent from my CPH1903 using Tapatalk

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## ROKTOY

> So does it have a fan or a vent in the top to let the heat out.
> I'm keen to have a crack at this as well.


It has a mesh covered vent in the bottom of the door as well as two smaller ones on rear of each side. A single computer fan at the top drawing the air out. 60W Light bulb. The goal is dry air passing the meat to draw out the moisture. It is a really simple procedure.

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## kotuku

to any homebrewers out there -i had a similar setup using 4x100w bulbs in an old dryer cabinet -a bloody great fermenting cupboard and once lights off leave em in it to quietly condition.

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## Tommy

Try a nice fatty bit of sirloin

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## simonw

I haven't read through all the comments here but just thought I'd throw in a quick comment.

My grandmother was born in South Africa, her 'base' recipe has four ingredients : meat, malt vinegar, sea salt (e.g. the large chunks, NOT the easy flowing stuff) and toasted coriander seeds.

Cut the meat into slices no thicker than 1cm and pat it dry. Pour some vinegar into a small bowl, dip your fingertips into it and flick it onto the meat (you don't want to go overboard with the vinegar). Mix the salt and toasted coriander seeds together, put some in the palm of your hand and rub it onto the meat so that it adheres. Again you don't want to go overboard and have it totally crusted, you want to be able to see plenty of flesh, but you want some coriander seeds stuck on to impart some flavour and the salt to draw out the moisture/assist the curing process.

From here, hang the meat in a warm and dry location that gets SOME airflow. After a day or two the meat should have changed to a very dark colour; this indicates the vinegar is working its enzyme magic on the meat. Give it a week and it should be at a consistency ready for consuming, but this is up to personal preference. If it smells naff, something's gone wrong.

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## HeinB

Nice to see this thread has lived on and looking at all the amazing biltong made by everyone!

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## ROKTOY

> Nice to see this thread has lived on and looking at all the amazing biltong made by everyone!


Your recipe has been the base of most of my trials.with Biltong. It comes out great if I do it right.

Sent from my SM-G390Y using Tapatalk

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