# Hunting > Game Cooking and Recipes >  Making Biltong

## kukuwai

So after watching  @The Hunters Club a couple of weeks ago when old mate Tim was making tahr biltong I got a bit inspired to make some.

First thing to sort out was a biltong box or dryer. A while ago I was given a few short bits of T&G. Apparently it is indonesian kauri (Agathis) no doubt not very sustainable so good to make something useful out of it 

Laminated a few bits together...



Built a box and gave it a good coat of some quality wood oil 



A shelf to catch the drips and a piece of perspex for the front and its done



Now for the biltong. Turns out there is plenty of recipes on youtube. I ended up with a hybrid of a few of them.



Found a venison sirloin in the freezer. 
Made a mix of vinegar and worcester sauce and soaked the slices in it for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Then removed them from the liquid. Patted them dry and covered them with the salt and spices. Back into the fridge for the night.

 

Took them out of the fridge this morning and hung them in the box.



So now all that remains is to wait a few days to see how it turns out. I will let you know how it goes 

As this is my first time making some I am certainly no expert so if you are experienced and can offer any advice, tips tricks or recipes then I'm keen on hearing them. 

Cheers 



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## Tommy

> I'll see if I can't find my recipe. Though there is an old thread here which was pretty much same. Some username beginning with H


Hein

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## kukuwai

> That'd be the one.
> Not sure if this is his recipe, but it's the one by my fridge.
> 
> overnight soak is 3:1 vinegar: worchestshire, and i cover the tray with foil in the fridge.
> 
> Then rub in spice and hang.
> 
> pink salt (himalayan rocksalt)
> brown sugar
> ...


Awesome cheers mimms  

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## veitnamcam

Will watch with interest,  done plenty of jerky but no true "biltong"
Could be the motivation I need to build a cold smoker/biltong box.

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## stevodog

I use the spice from the SA shop. Just soak with vinegar and dry in std dehydrator.

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## Preacher

Personal preference = Brown sugar Yup.  Cardomon nah.

Salt, Vinegar and any aromatics YOU like.  Personally would have left the original brew over night in fridge then the pat down/dry mix  another (next) night.  

Literally thousands of biltong recipes online, find what you like.  Best part of the trial and error is the tasting.

Also NO fat/ sinew or it's either rancid or chewbacca

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## Preacher

Beauty looking cabinet by the way.  Puts my huckery plastic tub to shame.  To shame.....

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## kukuwai

> Damned brain fart.
> 
> ****Corriander*** (not cardomon)
> ... is *the* spice. you could do it only with that and salt. It's what makes biltong, biltong. It is anti-microbial, killing any the nasties vinegar doesn't get rid of.. 
> 
> Little bit of fat is ideal and nummy nummy (and fuel for the body) if prepared right shouldn't go rank.


Hahaha....all good mimms I got plenty of coriander in there 

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## kukuwai

> Beauty looking cabinet by the way.  Puts my huckery plastic tub to shame.  To shame.....


Its all part of the fun mate. I have two young boys who love a good building project in the shed. 

I'm sure those plastic boxes work just fine 

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## Savage1

I use "Safari Biltong Mix" by Crown National. I get it at the local South African shop. I've tried quite a few different ones but this is the best in my opinion, and most of my mates agree.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/home-livin...3cf9d168ca-001

Just soak in brown vinegar and Worschester Sauce overnight in the fridge, then role in spice in the morning and hang. I put the left over vinegar/Worschester Sauce in the freezer for the next batch I make, otherwise you go through heaps of it as it needs to be covered.

I find getting the cut thickness and drying time just right to be the challenge, not hard though.

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## Savage1

I've seen a very effective biltong dryer made out of a large sistema storage container and a computer fan. Simple and cheap.

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## kukuwai

Thanks for the link to the spice mix, that looks good 




> I find getting the cut thickness and drying time just right to be the challenge.


What would you say the ideal cut thickness is? I did notice in the few videos i watched that the cut thickness seemed to vary a lot !



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## Dicko

correct toasted coriander seeds is the classic spice for Biltong not Cardamon but some may like that also. While a biltong box may help you do not need one to make biltong. The process of soaking the meat in a salt and vinegar solution draws out a lot of moisture and hanging it on a line in the shade (garage) or shaded area when there is a bit of air movement will dry it out in a week. 
If you see a bit of mold for you need to dip in a baking soda solution. Best to do this as you hang the strips up to dry.

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## veitnamcam

> Just to turn a fuckup around. 
> cardomon goes good in black coffee with egg yolk. Good anti inflamatory, antioxidant and anti-bacterial.
> Probay would go alright on biltong.


What kind of madman puts anything but more coffee in a black coffee 😲 :Are You For Real:

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## Savage1

> Thanks for the link to the spice mix, that looks good 
> 
> 
> What would you say the ideal cut thickness is? I did notice in the few videos i watched that the cut thickness seemed to vary a lot !
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


I think I do mine at about 20-25mm and dry for 2.5-3.5 days, I like mine quite soft. 

I slice mine all up straight away after drying and put it in ziplock bags in the freezer.

If you like it drier then just slice it thinner.

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## stevodog

That's the one I use. I soak the spice and vinegar together though as per the instructions

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## Preacher

Yeah it's all about the cut.  Any non fatty meat sliced as thick as you like is good so long as it is able to stil cure well.  Rule of thumb I was taught is : across grain  =  chewy but holds well.  With grain = nirvana

Edit.

.

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## Preacher

> I've seen a very effective biltong dryer made out of a large sistema storage container and a computer fan. Simple and cheap.


That is precisely how I do it.  Never had any of my South African Bros complain

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## Dicko

The ideal cut is the long round muscle of the silver side. Body parts of the silverside are good though. Cut it lengthwise. Always with the grain. If not using a bilt box cut the slabs down the centre lengthwise so they dry a bit quicker.

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## takbok

Here's a simple recipe that works very well for me. The 
last batch that I made from Red Stag shoulders and haunch was very tasty.



Biltong (per kilogram of meat)

20g salt
4g coriander seeds
2g black pepper
1g brown sugar
Sprinkle with worcester sauce when you mix the spices in, leave to marinate for 12h before hanging.

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## kukuwai

Primo, cheers for all the info guys 

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## kukuwai

Well.....bloody delicious
 double thumbs up from both the boys
We kept eating it as fast as it was being chopped there for a bit.

Will definitely be making more. Keen to try @Savage1  spice mix, its on its way. Also keen to experiment with the shape of the cut. 

I know for sure what will be happening to the next topside(silverside) I take out of a leg 

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## gonetropo

if the meat is a bit gamey dry taragon in the mix helps allot

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## Preacher

If you want to try making it but not go all in on buying/making a box you can use a fan oven on lowest setting and prop the door open with something.  Bit fiddly and time consuming to toothpick eat bit of meat and hang between racks but I have done it a few times if wanting snacks for a trip and not having time to do it over days.  Takes a few hours but still perfectly delicious.

Could be a reasonable way to test a new mix quick.

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## terryf

try super thin slices with a bit of chilli powder thrown into the mix at the end for some snap sticks. Addictive snack on the go stuff  :Have A Nice Day:

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## Preacher

> I'm the opposite of all you fan-boys.
> 
> I run an incadescent lightbulb, no fan. The heat from it creates mild convection current, and warm air can hold more moisture than cold air, so dries it quicker as it leaves...


This works too, it's but one way to dry a skinned cat.

Actually think this is the traditional (i.e not outside in shade and breeze) method.

Just make sure you put a bulb where it can't get dripped on or use a shield of foil etc.

Even primo meat don't taste too flash with microscopic glass on it.

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## southpaw

I also use the Crown National spice most of the time.
But for own recipe nothing more than salt, pepper and vinegar.

You could also add a little bit of cream of tartar to prevent mold forming.

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## outlander

> I also use the Crown National spice most of the time.
> But for own recipe nothing more than salt, pepper and vinegar.
> 
> You could also add a little bit of cream of tartar to prevent mold forming.


Ya boet, salt pepper and vinegar to keep the flies away

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## terryf

heres some pretty good biltong spice on sale if anyone's looking for some.
https://insideafrica.nz/all-products...spice-1kg.html
$12.99

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## stevodog

That's the one I use. I have tried it on Safas who said it was lekker

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## Tussock

I've never seen a point to biltong preservative. 

Perhaps a combination lock might work.

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## Tussock

> The dehy is the "preservative"
> 
> I've heard it can last up to 6 months. Fat f*ing chance though. My kids will eat approximately a cow a week if it's biltong.


Thus the combination lock.  

Never seen it last long enough to go off. 

I'm about to build a BIG air drier/cold smoker. I'm likely to knock a bull over or venison and my two deep freezers are solid.

Going to dry cure the whole damn thing.

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## kukuwai

Just made a batch of Fallow biltong....didn't even last a week in this house. Bloody delicious !!

So...



back at it, this time is chamois.

For those of you that have thought about making some but not had a go.  I would highly recomend it !!!

Our game animals make excellant biltong 



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## ROKTOY

Looking good, Kukuwai, we are prepping some goat back straps for our biltong box this weekend

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## kukuwai

Only one day in the box so far and it already looks delicious 



The next idea i have is to make one of these 'biltong cutters' i see online.

The decision being which kitchen knife to drill a hole thru, and which one won't the misses notice is missing

  @ROKTOY Throw up some pictures of your setup and the backstraps/results 


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## kukuwai

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## southpaw

> Only one day in the box so far and it already looks delicious 
> 
> 
> 
> The next idea i have is to make one of these 'biltong cutters' i see online.
> 
> The decision being which kitchen knife to drill a hole thru, and which one won't the misses notice is missing
> 
>   @ROKTOY Throw up some pictures of your setup and the backstraps/results 
> ...


Mine uses a planer knife



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## Marty Henry

This thread got me interested in trying something else. I've been making bresola for quite some time and the odd bit of jerky.  So this time I thought I might try biltong.
How long does it take for the vinegar smell to go? Having read through this I may have made a mistake leaving the meat in the vinegar, salt and sugar mix for 3 days.
It's had a week drying and still smells vinegary,  you can't really taste it though as the harissa blend I used to dry spice it  has some oomph.

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## terryf

yeah sounds like you pickled it rather than spiced it  :Grin:

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## Tuidog

The last lot I've made. Ready to pull out of the box was marinaded for 2days in the vinegar and worstershire and then frozen, day and a half to thaw out spiced and dried.  I use Freddy Hirsch Biltong spice mix available from SA shops.

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## kukuwai

@Marty Henry 

I'm sure there are many ways to skin a cat but this is what i do.

50/50 mix of malt vinegar and Worcester sauce. Soak the meat in that for 3-5 hrs.

Remove the meat and pat it dry with a paper towel. Coat the meat in a generous helping of 'crown national safari biltong spice'

Put it in the fridge for the night. This draws out a lot more moisture from the meat so next morning its all wet again. 

Dry each piece again with paper towels.
Give it a bit more spice and hang it in the box

No vinegar smell, bloody delicious 



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## southpaw

My current batch from the Oryx I shot end of May. 

Usong an old network cabinet as drier. 

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## Marty Henry

> Would be interested to see your setup for this?
> Proper humidity control and all, or just a shady eave on the north side?
> 
> I got half enthusiastic about prosciuto and pancetta once but having to manage it closely bumped it down the list.


Not really that hard and I've never photographed the process but here's how I go about it..
Take a whole muscle,  back legs are good here but you could do a backsteak.
Trim and if using backsteak remove silvers kind and cut in half. Weigh the meat.
For every kg weigh out 30 grams of salt, 20 grams of brown sugar, mix this with a teaspoon of garlic flakes, 4 bay leaves and some dried rosemary  and put in a large zip lock bag.
Add a bottle of red wine and when the salt and sugar have dissolved put the meat in and mass the bag so its all coated, get as much air as possible out and seal the bag.
Put the bag in the fridge and massage it every day for a week.
Remove the strange purple coloured slightly rubbery meat and pat dry. 
Make a rub from some  cracked pepper,  dried rosemary and  salt, I use 2:2:1 and roll the meat in this to coat it, tie each pice in mutton cloth to keep its shape and hang in  a cool  place for one or 2 weeks (I use the beer fridge)
When done I keep it in a zip lock bag to prevent it drying out further or you can freeze the extra.
I will get a chunk out today and photograph it later.

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## NewbieZAR

> Thanks for the link to the spice mix, that looks good 
> 
> 
> What would you say the ideal cut thickness is? I did notice in the few videos i watched that the cut thickness seemed to vary a lot !
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


What i do is, cut different sizes and thicknesses, that way you can start eating small pieces next day and eat the bigger pieces as they dry over the next few days haha. but im the kind of guy who have eaten half of the biltong in the garage while reloading before i actually take the last off to share.

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## NewbieZAR

i just chuck all the spices, vinegar etc in with the meat, then i take it out after a couple days and hang it. then i eat it.

If making droëwors (Dry sausage) just make a boerewors recipe and hang it up in thin sheep casings, i use 22mm.

Dont use pork or venison fat for drying this way as it goes rancid, trim off all silverskin, trim off all fat on deer, if making wors use beef or lamb fat

my 2c anyway

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## NewbieZAR

> I also use the Crown National spice most of the time.
> But for own recipe nothing more than salt, pepper and vinegar.
> 
> You could also add a little bit of cream of tartar to prevent mold forming.


never heard of that one, how much cream of tartar? ill try it as i get a bit of mould sometimes here in kiwiland

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## southpaw

> never heard of that one, how much cream of tartar? ill try it as i get a bit of mould sometimes here in kiwiland


about a 1/4 teaspoon with spices for 3kg meat

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## Bol Tackshin

Coriander seed is essential,  as is brown sugar in the vinegar mixture. And just a _touch_ of ground cloves is also great, but beware - you don't want to overpower the mixture! Some people add chilli or cayenne pepper,  but I've never been too fussed.

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## kukuwai

> What i do is, cut different sizes and thicknesses, that way you can start eating small pieces next day


Yes, i can totally see how that makes sense   I got home today and sliced up a couple of the smaller bits. They got devoured with the first green bottle 





> but im the kind of guy who have eaten half of the biltong in the garage while reloading before i actually take the last off to share.


Problem there is that I have two lads hovering about when i cut it up and they just don't stop racing each other for the ends.

As a result most of mine IS shared in the garage  


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## Bol Tackshin

I find it helps to keep the air dry for the first couple of days* so that a skin forms which helps prevent mould. 

* ie run a dehumidifier in the room / garage.

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## kukuwai

Results of the latest batch. Turns out chamois makes dam good biltong !!



Even managed to shrink wrap a few sticks for a trip into the hills 

Still keen to make a cutter 

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## veitnamcam

That looks great!
I think this or maybe salami could be the best use of cham meat.

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## kukuwai

Plenty of time on my hands at the moment   so finally got around to making a biltong cutter  

Started by ripping down off cuts of decking timber...



A bit of glue...



Then a sand up, a knife and some cooking oil....



Now to make another batch of biltong and test it out 

Hope you are all keeping yourself entertained in this lockup 

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## ROKTOY

@kukuwai, I meant to put up photos last time but forgot.
Here is the current batch of goat backstraps started yesterday and hung tonight.
And following it up with some silverside that will go in the box tomorrow.


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## kukuwai

Primo !! 

Looking great @ROKTOY 

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## ROKTOY

Pulled the goat back strap out after 2 1/2 days, It's a bit drier than I like, but that was to be expected with no fat in the meat.
A bit salty but still blimin tasty.
An ADV knife from @terryf made short work of slicing it up.


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## Marty Henry

Another batch drying, this is much easier than jerky and the sight residual vinegar twang more enjoyable to someone who prefers savoury.

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## southpaw

> Pulled the goat back strap out after 2 1/2 days, It's a bit drier than I like, but that was to be expected with no fat in the meat.
> A bit salty but still blimin tasty.
> An ADV knife from @terryf made short work of slicing it up.
> 
> 
> Sent from my SM-G390Y using Tapatalk


Sure does look like an awesome knife  :Thumbsup:

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## veitnamcam

Dropped a couple of kilos of venison off to my SA workmate last week and got this back Monday  :Thumbsup: 



Two different flavours one with a touch of chilli.

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## kukuwai

Primo VC your gunna love that !!

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## thatguy

Nice!
I just use a plastic storage box from the warehouse. By spice mix for biltong, droëwors and boerewors from SA shop. Has al the right spices and preservatives needed.

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