These traditional strips of salted, dried beef enjoyed by most Rhodesians and South Africans are pretty expensive to buy in the United Kingdom so here is a simple recipe to enable you to make your own.

 The Meat :

Almost any cut of meat is fine to use for drying, but the best results will be obtained from Silverside, Topside and Thick Flank.  The most tender biltong is made from Fillet though of course, this is more costly.

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Whichever cuts you decide to use, ensure that the meat is of a good quality; lean cuts containing little fat are best, as too fatty meat causes rancidity.

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Remove as much connective tissue as possible and cut the meat into long strips ranging in width from 25-50mm.  The thickness of the strips is a matter of personal preference but in humid areas it would be advisable to cut thinner strips.  Use a large, sharp knife to make neat, clean incisions into the meat (loose pieces of meat could cause mould to set in).

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Place the cuts of meat in a dish (preferably glass or plastic as metal reacts with the salt discolouring the meat and giving it a bad taste) and layer with coarse/rock salt.  Leave this to stand for approximately 40 to 60 minutes  - 40 minutes for thin cuts and a less salty taste – 60 minutes for thicker cuts of meat.  Anything over 60 minutes is too salty.

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Scrape off all traces of salt then dip each strip of meat into vinegar which will also help remove surface salt (any vinegar will do, however, I’ve found that a good sherry vinegar gives the biltong a nice flavour).  If you like a slightly peppery taste sprinkle a little white ground pepper onto each side, and using thin hooks (paperclips are ideal for this) or string loops, hang up the strips of meat.  Hang them well apart so they do not touch one another, otherwise mould will set in.  For the first twenty four hours it is a good idea to use a fan to create a good airflow.  Once the meat has turned black and the outer skin is formed the fan can be switched off and the meat left to dry.

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After four days, for those who prefer the biltong slightly moist, the biltong is ready for eating.  If you prefer drier biltong, leave it hanging for a few more days.

Biltong can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a piece of muslin or in paper.  Never store biltong in plastic.

There are many ways that biltong can be made using a variety of herbs and spices – using saltpetre, sugar, bicarbonate of soda – leaving the biltong to soak overnight in vinegar – but I believe ‘simple is best’ and everyone who has sampled my biltong has agreed that it is good.

Enjoy !

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