Thread: Biltong. Preserving Meat Without Refrigeration.

Years ago I made biltong from hares and goats. When it was dry enough to store without refrigeration, it was pretty darn hard and not what I'd describe as wonderful. Back then I wasn't aware that the best way to cut it for consumption was in very thin slices across the grain. Cut this way it is much easier to chew.

I got some of my earliest information on the process from South Africans I met at work. They were all good folk, and pretty keen on biltong. Some people like to dip the marinated biltong in hot vinegar before drying, others don't. Some folks hang it to dry outdoors under their eaves, stating that the flies do not land on it (possibly because of the salt and pepper on the surface). Some hang it indoors ... others might dry the meat in a dehydrator, oven, or a special 'biltong box'.

I met a South African neighbour last year. She gave me her recipe and described the process. Guided by her experience, I have made some excellent biltong. I then researched the topic.

It seems that many folks on the internet virtually 'parrot' each other. And another trend is to stress the 'safety' aspects of any activity. Many posts about biltong indicated that it should be frozen or refrigerated..... and should generally be used within a short time. This did not resonate with my understanding that biltong was once made and stored without refrigeration in fairly basic conditions. It might have been prepared right next to where an animal was killed and butchered... and then hung from wagons as people continued their journey. Properly dried and stored biltong, in my opinion, could have a shelf life of many months.... maybe a year or more. I've never stored it that long, but others may have. Mine disappears within a few days.

Biltong is just one product made from dried meat. Meat can be dried without any seasoning, although salt is often used and recommended. It also seems to be accepted that lean dried meat is better for long-term storage. An informative article published by the F.A.O describes a variety of drying methods and products that can be copied without much technology. They suggest that dipping thin strips of meat in a 14% salt solution before hanging to dry is the way to go for the simplest preservation method. (When I looked at their table showing the amount of salt to add to certain volumes of water, I couldn't see how it matched the 14% guideline, but it was near enough). They say it is best to salt the meat within five hours of slaughter because bacterial growth can really take off after a while. My own opinion is that if you have hung your animal with the skin on (for maybe two to five days depending on the temperature), then the microbes will only become a problem once the meat is skinned and handled. Where there was no skin, you might have a spoilage issue. Here is the link to the FAO article: https://www.fao.org/3/x6932e/X6932E0...PMTubOc7_e3JY4

HANGING A CARCASS: It is widely believed that beef and venison (and maybe meat from other animals) is likely to be more tender if hung for a while before cutting it up. This seems to be true in my experience, although I've eaten meat that was not deliberately hung and it has been acceptable. Maybe the hung meat that was beautifully tender would have been tender enough without hanging. Dunno. I like to hang with the skin on if possible as this limits the surface area that bacteria are likely to grow on. Hanging meat in a chiller is obviously a safe way to age a carcass. Some folks like to hang the meat where it can get no colder than maybe 12 degrees C for the first 12 hours or so to get the best product.

During the summer months I might hang a deer in the shade for two or even three days. In winter I might hang it for four or five days or even longer. I don't know much about hanging other species of animal, but my feeling is that meat like beef, venison and hare can be hung (in a clean, gutted condition) for a relatively long time, whereas other types of meat may not be so well suited. I simply do not know, although I have hung goats and pigs for one to three days without refrigeration and without a problem.

If green or white mould starts to grow on exposed surfaces, this isn't necessarily a problem. Cheese grows mould. I have an idea that black or red mould could be a problem, but I'm not a scientist.

Some people suspend an animal from the back legs, others say that optimal tenderness is more likely to be achieved if you hang from the pelvis (aitch bone) and let the back legs lie in a relaxed manner. I haven't had enough experience to know whether it really does make a difference, but I hang from the aitch bone with a stainless hook if possible. I drape a thin sheet loosely around the carcass and close it up with clothes pegs to keep flies off the animal.

Recently I found an article about biltong written by Don Caswell, an Australian who has made biltong for around three decades. He noted: ".... it is an accepted truism that the bigger, older and tougher animals seem to deliver the best biltong." That was very encouraging to read. So if you are unable to hang an animal, maybe it will still yield some great biltong. Don also indicated that making biltong can be done without refrigeration. I guess I should add a disclaimer here and say do your own research, and err on the side of caution when it comes to food safety. Personally I am very relaxed about not depending on a fridge when making biltong. Here is a link to Don's 'Aussiehunter' article: https://aussiehunter.org/hunting/pro...f3AW4CvyklNgGk

This is how I made my last batch of venison biltong using meat that had been frozen. (I may make it differently next time):

1. Slice the meat into 'planks' about 1/2" to 3/4" thick with the grain going lengthwise. Thicker slices may be preferred by some, but it will take longer to dry and the seasoning will not be as intense in the middle of the strip. Thinner strips are OK too. And if the strips are all different thicknesses, some will be fully dried before the others. No problem. It is best to cut off any big lumps of fat or any sinew or 'silver skin'. I used the offcuts from this latest batch to make a venison pie, and it was fantastic. The connective tissue/silver skin adds a beautiful glutinous texture if you simmer the meat long enough.

2. Prepare the seasoning. Non-iodised salt is recommended for this type of thing. Some recipes recommend that the amount of salt to use should be 2% of the weight of the fresh meat. So for a kilo of meat you'd use 20 grams of salt.... or around two level tablespoons full (depending on the size of your tablespoon and the coarseness of the salt grains). Many people recommend coarse salt. I don't see why it matters though. Along with the salt you need vinegar ( I use brown malt vinegar, black pepper (I prefer freshly-ground), and slightly toasted coriander seeds. The seeds should be crushed or lightly ground before applying. Mix the dry ingredients together.

3. Use a large ceramic or glass dish to marinate the meat. Tip a bit of vinegar into the dish then add some meat. Sprinkle more vinegar over the meat. Etc. When this is done, rub your dry ingredients into each piece of meat. Use only enough vinegar to make the meat visibly dripping wet on all surfaces, and with just a little excess vinegar lying in the bottom of the dish. Turn the meat from time to time, ensuring that everything is evenly coated. Bring the bottom meat to the top of the pile. Some folks indicate that maybe four hours is long enough for the meat to sit in the dish... I've typically left mine longer. You might like to leave the meat in the fridge for this part, but any relatively cool place is probably OK. You decide.

4. After marinating, you can hang the meat with small hooks or with skewers or string. Make sure individual pieces don't touch each other, and that wider pieces don't fold over on themselves. Ensure that the air can freely pass by the whole surface. Or you can dry the meat in an electric dehydrator (or an oven or special device)... just give each piece plenty of room for air to circulate.

You can eat the biltong from slightly dry, to totally dehydrated. Current I prefer very dry biltong. It should have a better shelf life and the flavour seems to be more concentrated. To make the biltong easier to chew, use a sharp knife to cut thin strips across the grain of the biltong 'plank'.

First you need some suitable meat. This deer was taken with a hand-loaded subsonic .357 magnum, 180 home-cast bullet.



Cut the meat into strips with the grain running lengthwise if possible.



How I toast my coriander seed:



Turn the meat during the marinating period. The meat changes colour fairly quickly



The biltong shown below is not fully dry as indicated by the colour. Some prefer it this way, but I wouldn't store this stuff in an enclosed container outside the fridge for long periods. Of course it should theoretically be OK if hung so it can finish drying. Fully dried biltong should be very stiff and dark all the way through. In long-term humid conditions it may grow mould. Small amounts of mould can be cut off, but if things are really damp then maybe refrigeration should be considered

Thank you for this post, It's good to know what works.

My family often dries meat in the Laos style, which is to marinate it in various salty sauces, msg, sugar, with chopped coriander roots, chilis and garlic, sometimes ginger. In Laos it's dried in the sun, flies be damned. In NZ we use an oven on minimum low, seems to work well.

It's pretty much the same idea as your Biltong.

Anyone wanting to try lungs, cut the lungs into 2cm slices across the lung, prepare as above for Biltong or Laos dried meat.

Once dried, deep fry the slices, they go crispy and flavourful, delicious.

Wow. Never tried lungs. They look a bit like blancmange or candy floss, so they have eye appeal. Thanks for the idea !

I note that you mentioned deep frying. Do you cook all your dried meat, or is some consumed raw? It would be essential to cook pork I guess.

try a bit of cardamom seed to the coriander, gives it a whole new dimension

Might try the cardamom next time thanks. I'm also thinking about the native seasonings.... horopito and kawakawa.

maybe juniper berry, make it great with a g&t !!

Yes. I've seen a number of references to juniper berries.

Slightly unrelated, I've got my first batch of wild pork 'bacon' curing in the fridge. There was a bit of fat on a flap attached to a leg I brought home, so I figured I should try it.

https://guruji.co.nz/

best place for good cheap spices.

The prices do look good. I think I paid about $2.20 for a small.. maybe 20 gram ... packet of coriander seed at the local shop. Guruji have ten times as much (200g) for only $2.99.

Nice to see a Jimny earning its keep. Enjoyable article, thanks.

Heh. Good observation. It had its first annual service yesterday. It has a fair bit of mud on the carpet and the inside can smell like offal at times. I like it.

one cool tip for storage of lots is oven bags

easy enough to pop the whole thing in the oven if it gets a little moist down the track

I cant keep my jerkey out for too long or it soaks up the moisture in the air, which thinking probably isnt a problem in africa most of the year

Humidity is likely to be a problem unfortunately. Even in 'sunny' Nelson, my Dad used to get mould growing on his leather rifle slings in his gun cupboard. He eventually kept a low wattage light bulb burning in the cupboard during damp weather.

@Coote - some people rinse the meat in vinegar to remove excess salt, as the brine has penetrated the meat. Traditional biltong avoids pork, as it tends to go rancid or rot. Better to cure pork like bacon or ham.

With regard to the toughness, we used to take a hammer to a stick of the stuff, making it much more tender. Not so much for beef, but definitely game biltong, which tends to be much dryer, because it is so lean.

Don't overlook using minced mead to make Droë Wors - literally, dry sausage. It is usually made in a thin sausage casing, to ensure it dries.

mincing the meat first before dehydration would cure any chewy stuff
Its a different texture that some dont enjoy as much but it sure beats breaking your teeth on stuff

my dried mince jerkey from beef was tasty as but almost too soft so chewey meat would probably come out about right