Biltong

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M0XXQ
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Biltong

Unread post by M0XXQ »

One for our South African patrons - Can you offer any tips on building a homebrew Biltong meat dryer, I love the stuff but its very expensive here in England so want to have a go making my own.
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G0BHD
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Re: Biltong

Unread post by G0BHD »

Sangoma has to be your man for all things South African cuisine wise! ;)
He has more experience of the place than any other of us.
Sangoma
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Biltong

Unread post by Sangoma »

I get 403 forbidded when trying to reply to your post

M0XXQ wrote: Tue Jun 23, 2020 6:26 pm One for our South African patrons - Can you offer any tips on building a homebrew Biltong meat dryer, I love the stuff but its very expensive here in England so want to have a go making my own.

quick and easy, a cardboard box, some bamboo and a old type 60W lamp.

PC fan/s make it fancy.

We have one of these with 10 trays https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Food-Dehydra ... Sw7ple6Ljo but a bit of an overkill for occasional use.

Put biltong box into a search and you will see plenty.

The important thing is heat and airflow, heat mustn't be above 37C or below 27C, and not overcrowd the box with meat.

Find an SA recipe to be a starting point, and look at the Afrikaans ones, it is an easy language so google translate does it almost perfectly.
G 3 E J S
Sangoma
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Re: Biltong

Unread post by Sangoma »

Please move my reply to the original thread if possible.

(if this posts, it means I don't have the 403 problem :) )
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M0XXQ
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Re: Biltong

Unread post by M0XXQ »

Cheers Steve, I might give it a go next week once I have collected the parts.
I guess the challenge will be cutting the meat into thin strips, I have a decent knife set but if I am going to be making this on a regular basis I might invest in a meat slicer.
Sangoma
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Re: Biltong

Unread post by Sangoma »

The strips don't have to be thin, or are you talking about how it comes out of the packet?

Use silverside, it gives longer strips (have a look at the cheaper meats in the supermarket, they often don't know or don't care what cut it is, just look for the long thin roasts, usually 10"-12" long and about 4" diameter, chances are ir is silverside, but it is the right shape anyway)

This is as it goes into the drier
bt1.jpg

As it comes out
bt2.jpg
Cut up
bt3.jpg

And vacuum packed for freezing
bt4.jpg


Then when you have got that right, you can make this, you put it on the fire in a long length coiled up, guarantee you will never want to eat a BBQ'd pork sausage or burger again.
bt5.jpg

If you end up making a lot of biltong, I'll tell you how to make a cutter, you won't want to cut up a lot with a knife.
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M3PIE
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Re: Biltong

Unread post by M3PIE »

I was brought up on Biltong and still get it now in great quantities as a native from South Africia.
73,
Mark.
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