Anyone tried Biltong

[Beer Monster]

I used to make my own Biltong up in Aberdeen by hanging it in a box over a radiator that was on at a very low temperature. Seemed to work well ..... especially in the damp atmosphere we have here in the UK.

Here is a very basic recipe for biltong and instructions on how to make it. In SA/Namibia we just used to hang it up in a room (fly free!) to dry because the atmosphere was so dry and hot, however, here in the UK your best using an improvised Biltong maker as mentioned by Murf. If the atmosphere is too damp mould will start to appear, if its only a small amount you can wipe it off with a cloth soaked in cider vinegar and then hang it in a dryer place (maybe and airing cupboard?).

Hope that helps.

Beer Monster

 

[Great Pebble]

I like both, Mate's fiance is S. African and gets enough practice in smuggling (illegal to import) when she goes home to see her family that she could probably make a fortune if she turned her skills to other products. Have another pal in Canada who posts me the odd packet of jerky, including salmon...

 

[tomtom]

didnt there used to be a Beef Jerky tutorial thing? on the main BCUK site?

where'd it go :?:

 

[Tony]

Here you go http://www.bushcraftuk.co.uk/200/oven_jerky.html :biggthump

 

[tomtom]

i knew it was there somewhere!!

 

[Huon]

As an alternative to jerky and biltong you might like to try Thai sun-dried beef. This is easy to make and has a shorter drying time than jerky or biltong.

Use topside, flank or similar. Here is my wife's recipe for about 1 kilo of meat:

Cut the beef across the grain into strips about 5mm thick.

Mix of 100ml fish sauce and 100ml light soy sauce with about 2tbsp of sugar.

Marinate the beef in the mix for about 2 - 3 hours. If you leave the meat in the mix longer the end result will be saltier.

Lay the marinated meat on a surface with drainage, we use a flat bamboo basket, and leave in the sun - in England one day's drying will do if the day is sunny enough. While drying turn the meat every hour or so to dry both sides. Knowing when the meat is dry enough is a matter of trial and error but once finished the beef should have darkened until it is almost black. The recipe is fairly forgiving so it is not fatal if the meat is over or under dried. It is a good idea to cover the meat with a net or something similar to keep flys off.

At this point the meat should keep unrefrigerated for weeks and refrigerated or frozen for months.

Before eating the beef you need to fry it for a few minutes. Once fried the meat will need to be eaten within 7-10 days.

The recipe also works well with lamb.

Traditionally salty beef would be eaten with sticky rice which also keeps days without refrigeration. Both are 'travel foods' in Thailand.

It also works really well as a beer snack.

Huon

 

[EdS]

check out:

www.bare-earth.co.uk

finest North Yorkshire biltong

 

[bushwacker bob]

I made some jerky useing the hoodoo method.It was exellent if I say so myself.I found worcester sauce makes a near perfect marrinade. soak the meat in it then pound in a bit of cracked black pepper and dry in a cool oven with the door ajar,overnight.Also Budgens sell 35g packs of jerky for £2 IIRC

 

[MarkG]

ASDA have got Jerky now aswell £1.99 for a 100g.

I made some my self in the summer but after having left it in the car in the sun things didn't smell to good! It still tasted OK but I let the dog finish it off!

Just about got rid of the smell

 

[leon-1]

One of the things that got me into Jerky and billtong was that Neil1 did a batch which tasted pretty good, he then forgot about it and it lay in the bottom of a pack in a couple of plastic bags for a considerable time.

On a later date we were out on one of our trips and he came across it so we had it for breakfast .

I can't tell you how long it had been in the bottom of the pack, but it must of been there for some time as it was in Neil1's winter pack (different size pack for differnt times of year).

Mal I don't find getting water in the U.K. too much of a problem :umbrella: and you have to look at it that it was originally made by people in a far hotter enviroment than ours. Also salt is an electolyte and we lose a fair amount of it during strenuous work and hot weather, this just alleviates the problem of adding salt to your food.

 

[Wayne]

Neil 1 can you post your recipe for Biltong?

 

[leon-1]

Neil 1 can you post your recipe for Biltong?

He hasn't got one for Billtong, but he has one for Jerky, if he doesn't get onto this thread I will get him to PM it to you :wave:

 

[Burnt Ash]

I recently have developed a taste for Biltong, has anyone else tried it or know where to get it?

I was born in South Africa, so have known biltong all my life. My father's mother's people had sheep farms in the Karroo. I remember visiting these relatives back in ca. 1968 and their parting gift to us when we left them. I remember staggering out to the car with a huge bundle of spingbok biltong sticks that I could barely get my arms around. We munched it for the rest of our trip: right up round the Garden Route to Durban, then (after a break for Christmas and New Year) out to the Drakensberg and the Kruger Park. I think I still had some left when I started school again the next term in England. Lekker!

Try Susmans

Burnt Ash

 

[Tvividr]

Neil 1 can you post your recipe for Biltong?

This is the recipe that we used to use when living in Africa http://www.bushcraftuk.net/community/showpost.php?p=13011&postcount=26

I was born in South Africa, so have known biltong all my life. My father's mother's people had sheep farms in the Karroo. I remember visiting these relatives back in ca. 1968 and their parting gift to us when we left them. I remember staggering out to the car with a huge bundle of spingbok biltong sticks that I could barely get my arms around. We munched it for the rest of our trip: right up round the Garden Route to Durban, then (after a break for Christmas and New Year) out to the Drakensberg and the Kruger Park. I think I still had some left when I started school again the next term in England. Lekker! Burnt Ash

Baie lekker :biggthump

 

[leon-1]

I was born in South Africa, so have known biltong all my life. My father's mother's people had sheep farms in the Karroo. I remember visiting these relatives back in ca. 1968 and their parting gift to us when we left them. I remember staggering out to the car with a huge bundle of spingbok biltong sticks that I could barely get my arms around. We munched it for the rest of our trip: right up round the Garden Route to Durban, then (after a break for Christmas and New Year) out to the Drakensberg and the Kruger Park. I think I still had some left when I started school again the next term in England. Lekker!

Try Susmans

Burnt Ash

Cheers BA, on average this place works out between 50% and 66% of what I have been paying for Billtong so far, so this is a pretty good deal :biggthump .

My major problem is now from all the posts that people have put up is I am spoilt for choice and nearly all are cheaper than getting it from where I am getting it from currently ):.

Thanks also to those who have put up recipes, when I get five minutes to do the prep I will make some up, in the mean time however I will continue to buy, however my supplier will change (probably quite a lot to start with) :biggthump

 

[JakeR]

I love the stuff, just got 5 packets from South Africa! (IMO tastes better than jerky)

 

[JakeR]

BTW i didn't know we had any Afrikaaners here! My father is fluent, but the only words he uses are expletives, usually at me while driving. So, although i haven't got a great vocab, i could hold my own in an slandering match!

 

[beachlover]

Made some biltong after looking at recipes.
Did beef, but with teryaki sauce and wasabi mustard as the marinade.
Naused the teenager cos it didn't come in a packet and blocked the fan oven for 12 hours, but it has turned out to be absolutely stunning!

 

[Tyr]

In my experience, whether you call it jerky, biltong, pemmican, whatever they are all just regional variations on the same thing, dried meat and the main thing is whether it was made well or not. I’ve had naff biltong and I’ve had naff jerky but when they are made nicely it is fantastic.

If anyone is passing Borough market on a Friday or a Saturday then there is usually some pretty good venison jerky (as well as a whole raft of different cured meats) and it is not outrageously priced but it only comes in chilli or coriander flavours. If you find yourself in central London and a bit peckish then you could do worse than the South African/Oztralian/Canadian/Kiwi shop in Maiden Lane (Covent garden). They do Sussmans biltong.

I see that salmon jerky has been mentioned and I quite like it but I’m not sure everyone will (beats bombay Duck anyday). Fenalår (Norwegian salted air dried leg of lamb) is another dried cured meat that if you get the chance to try you should, excellent with sour cream, knekkebrod and lots of beer but it also makes a pretty good long lasting bush food. Also whilst not jerky, but I just have to mention it as it is without doubt one of the best things I have ever eaten, is smoked reindeer meat. I used to make my own in a lavvo with some juniper bush for an extra bit of flavour. It is incredibly good and whilst not as long lasting as jerky still makes a pretty good bush food and will liven up any camp stew or just eat it like jerky.

 

[Tvividr]

In my experience, whether you call it jerky, biltong, pemmican, whatever they are all just regional variations on the same thing, dried meat and the main thing is whether it was made well or not. I’ve had naff biltong and I’ve had naff jerky but when they are made nicely it is fantastic.
......
I see that salmon jerky has been mentioned and I quite like it but I’m not sure everyone will (beats bombay Duck anyday). Fenalår (Norwegian salted air dried leg of lamb) is another dried cured meat that if you get the chance to try you should, excellent with sour cream, knekkebrod and lots of beer but it also makes a pretty good long lasting bush food. Also whilst not jerky, but I just have to mention it as it is without doubt one of the best things I have ever eaten, is smoked reindeer meat. I used to make my own in a lavvo with some juniper bush for an extra bit of flavour. It is incredibly good and whilst not as long lasting as jerky still makes a pretty good bush food and will liven up any camp stew or just eat it like jerky.

:biggthump