making biltong in humid climate

She actually liked it and that was fantastic! Oh the joy of the craft and balancing the gear! I only have whole muscle meats hanging in there at the moment : lamb pancetta arrotolata, bresaola and beef bacon. Thank you. Mold proliferates at a humidity above 55%; it also increases with poor ventilation. It's cured meat which has its origins in much the same way as many other famous cured types of meat. Although the actual meat of biltong will have little marbling and close to no fat, you will quite often see a ridge of fat that runs along the top of a biltong slab. The longer you leave it in the wet cure the more the wet cure flavour will be there in the end product. Also, remove any gristle or sinew which once it is dried is pretty much inedible and you dont want that ruining your biltong snack. This depends on the size of the meat and your method of drying. The yellow color comes from beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A thats healthier for you than the white fat produced from grain-fed cattle. To easily make a biltong box at home, use a cardboard box, such as a computer monitor box. Try to avoid fatty cuts of beef as it is trickier to dry fatty meat without it spoiling. People who visit South Africa and are introduced to biltong always want to take some back to their home countries whether it is Scandinavia, France, Italy, or the UK just as long as they can get meat products through customs. Once the biltong meat has been spiced, its going to sit in a vinegar marinade for several hours to a day. If you want to see how it's done, jump to the video in the recipe using the above button. Keeping relative humidity in the box below 50% ensures consistent, quality results. Learning tricks from other cultures on planting and gardening brought new ideas to food gardens and creating beautiful outdoor spaces. Hi Charle When asked about the best way to store biltong, Maxine says, "I recommend to not store it in the fridge if the biltong is in any form of packaging. Just wondering what the downside would be to having the temp a few degrees cooler, but the humidity in the desired range? Perfect recipe. It basically just follows the procedure but since it is common to have a fermentation stage having that higher temperature and higher humidity allows that pH and acidity to increase to create a hostile environment for bad bacteria. South Africans can get fussy about the way it is sliced too so bringing out the slicer and cutting according to guest preferences also makes something of a talking point at a gathering! Although heat doesnt add to the quality of the product, it can be used to increase air circulation around the meat, by means of a temperature gradient (heat rises!). This is usually the secret to how to make biltong . So I end up starting most dry curring at around 75 to 80% humidity for the first two or three days and then take it down to about 70% for most of the dry-cured projects I do like pancetta, braesola, Lonza or dry-cured and then cold smoked bacon. Pieces shouldn't be too thick Its tricky to get the salt quantity right. Everyone's happy. My recipe uses the smallest amount of salt required to make a safe cure, based on the weight of the meat. Apr 1, 2023 by ASK SOUTH AFRICA. He did use 3/4 tablespoon of pink salt in his wet marinate.I'm going to try and add fennel. You can use any vinegar for marinating your beef slices. This site is owned by eatcuredmeat.com, it participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. That way, you can cut the biltong into the thickness of slabs you prefer and trim off the amount of fat so that it is precisely how you would like it. Brown malt vinegar is traditional. Is it drying too fast or too slow? This moisture gets in the way of your biltong absorbing the biltong spice and marinade. Biltong can also be made from: Chicken, simply referred to as chicken biltong. I however eat it like Biltong This is my version: Cut topside or silverside into 2 cm wide strips and marinade in salt, curry powder and lemon juice for 24 hrs. Whats going on and is it anything to worry about? Not dehydrated. Keeping below 24C in the initial phases stops the fats from going rancid. and moisture balance to make a success of biltong making. About to start my first batch, will let you know how it turns out. As you start getting closer to the biltong being ready, you will probably begin to test pieces of the biltong to see how they are. The ideal climate is warm (not hot), dry, with steady reliable balanced airflow. I live in the United States and I want to try curing some different meats. This time can be shorter or longer depending on the thickness of the meat, the humidity of the environment, the wind flow around the biltong, the temperature, and lastly, how you prefer your biltong, slightly wet or dry. This next point cant be overemphasized; use fresh spices and toast, grind and mix them just before youre about to apply them. As far as I am concerned the light bulb is used to draw air upwards and out of the There's a lengthy thread on biltong making. If it smells or looks rotten then throw it out as some other bad bacteria took hold and you can't save spoiled meat. Rub a little salt on the cut ends to protect them. I thought it might be useful to stick in a quick overview of the different projects I am familiar with and the environments. This will balance out the gradient. Then, one day when marking about the 256th essay during exam time I decided enough Ill do my own writing instead and have never looked back. Cant wait ! It can also occur while making your own biltong. Yes you could do that or you could grind the chilli flakes a bit and add more. Stand the box upright and open the flaps on top. Step drill bit. You want roughly 1/4 pepper to 3/4 coriander seed for a good balance. Mix it with your salt and add as instructed. It kills bacteria on the outside of the meat, and helps to draw moisture out. See the post for an in-depth explanation of the processes involved. It will froth as the acid reacts with the soda. Biltong is an air-dried meat snack that originates from South Africa. Room temperature in most houses is fine, but air flow can be a problem. This doesn't need to be very strong, as that also runs the risk of drying the outer layers before the inside of the meat. If you suspect that case hardening is your problem, I recommend cutting through the end of the meat and checking it. Nice basic recipe as used by my family for many years. Increase the airflow and decrease the humidity to prevent another bout of mould. Leave it too long and youll have some tooth-bustingly tough biltong on your hands. Opinions vary on curing methods, spice mixes and drying conditions, and there is a lot of misinformation around, so trial and error has been my friend. So is the the greyish tinge/oxidation okay? This is the most well explained and straight forward blog post I have found. They were known as the "Voortrekkers" and the biltong story started with them. Rhymes too. A Link to this webpage was sent to me by a friend in South Africa and it looks delicious. It makes an amazing summer snack platter when served with drowors, marinated olives, Parmesan sables, spiced nuts, pea and mint dip and freshly baked sourdough bread. Below are a few items that will make your life easier. Especially biltong that can in most cases do without it. If you spot mould, wipe it off with vinegar and move the biltong to a dryer better-ventilated area. If you found this post helpful or have learned something, comment, subscribe, and follow me on social platforms for more tasty recipes. Salt and vinegar both act as detergents against bad bacteria by displacing water and lowering the Ph level. Two or three slabs will not last that long and will be eaten within a week or two. The vinegar tenderizes the meat, preserves the meat by killing off any microbes, and balances the salt. Every experienced biltong maker has a personal recipe for making biltong. I live in Alaska and our house and garage stay about 66F. This is something that just needs testing to get some balance generally. Do a speed test on our app and win R5,000, https://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/613014-The-Official-Biltong-Enthusiasts-Thread. I know we have amazing charcuterie, Im Muslim so no pork for me. WHAT AN AMAZING TREAT!!! You got me addicted to making my own biltong. I then drilled through the side and opened up an exit hole of about 3 x 3. . Optionally add baking soda to the meat along with the marinade and give it a good mix. Biltong from the land of the Gurkhas! When ready, take it off the hooks, chop up a biltong slab and enjoy. As a perfect example of this, the Italians make a beautiful beef product called Bresaola, which is very slowly air dried at cold temperatures, so as to achieve an even dryness and texture. Might need that temp controller too Cheers T. Thank you for putting in so much effort in your site and sharing your experience. For biltong strips, cut tenderized steak into 2cm strips and follow the recipe. Be sure to get it all or its likely to spread again. We, South Africans, save the sweetness for desserts and we do have some super-sweet ones like koeksisters something like a doughnut thats plaited, deep fried, then dunked in a cold lemony syrup; or malva pudding a soft pudding thats given a sauce that soaks through made from cream, butter, and sugar. If you want trim the fat a bit or leave it on. I still need to find some stuff to fashion a biltong box out of, so I have some time. Try to create these conditions in whatever way you see fit. It slows the contraction of the proteins, leaving the final product still dry, but less tough. If you see the first signs of mould appearingwhite dots or furry moulduse a clean cloth with some vinegar and dab/wipe it off. I can't wait to try your process in that device. Once you have your chosen cut probably silverside or topside, remove some of the excess fat. This is what my grandfather did, and I suspect the early pioneers too. Im confident that this fool-hardy recipe sticks with the traditional roots of the dried meat, whilst adding a little refined finesseit does not disappoint. Once youve got the coriander seeds ground, coarsely grind your black peppercorns and add them to the mix. Let it marinate for 2 hours turning the meat a few times to ensure even marination. Wet stones and ceramic steels. Just make sure you have a little air flow, or the meat can gather mouldIm sorry to say this has happened to me in the past! If I cut it thin (1/4) it can be ready within 36 hours. Store wrapped airtight or in vacuum bags in the fridge or freeze for longer storage. If you want to have complete control over drying conditions, either making or buying a biltong box might be the best option for you. (You can see this on the dehydrator biltong recipe). The humidity will also be very . My dads buddy from South Africa used to make it using this pre-mix spice and it was unbelievable. In general, FSIS recommends achieving a minimum internal meat temperature of 145F (~63C) held for 4 minutes, and a 1 hour hold at RH90% to ensure sufficient delivery of thermal energy to the surface. This batch of for Saturdays rugby. Cover the container and let your biltong cure for 24 hours in the fridge, turning and rubbing through the meat occasionally. Required fields are marked *. Yeah me neither. If your approx. Plastic-covered paper clips make for a cheap solution. Here is a quick synopsis on how to make biltong. Place the meat in a mixture of salt, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar making sure each part of the meat is moistened in the mix you can set the meat aside to marinade in the fridge for between half an hour to an hour. Like most other cured meats it's easy to adjust the flavourings and ingredients used. Remove the meat from the container and pat dry with kitchen towels, taking care not to remove too much of the spice. My favorite is apple cider vinegar. Everybodys preferences with biltong tend to be different. On average, biltong will take five days to dry. Then proceed as you would with Biltong! Place some newspaper below the meat to catch any liquid. The length of the strips will depend on the height of your dryer as the meat must not touch the tray at the bottom. Concrete can be used in humid climates, but excellent humidity control needs to be established as well. Keep up the great work! This is more often found in cows that are a little more aged than the prime cuts of beef. Raw beef inoculated with 4-strain cocktails of either E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, or Staphylococcus aureus, and processed with a standard biltong process, were shown to incur a >5-log reduction . Getting it right is down to trial and error. Which comes from areas that are pretty much untouched. Charl, the resident South African who was wwoofing at Milkwood at the time, was in charge of the recipe: - Cut meat along the natural grain, into strips about 1 cm wide. I have a home made biltong cabinet with he fan and 40watt light bulb. The reason for this plastic covering is that vinegar reacts with metal, so you dont want this affecting the taste of your meat. My attempt at making a character sheet She's either always annoyed at any inconvenience or always awkward to see people also has frizzy hair problems thanks to the extremely hot & humid weather in the (I know all too well ) gonna practice some more . Cover the meat completely in spices making sure to get it into every nook and cranny. Not a problem the difference between jerky and BIltong is its more traditional and more like the original settlers and natives of America. Travel writing, recipe development as well as writing about homesteading matters, camping, health, children, medical matters, press releases and copywriting keep me busy. I've used it in the past but try and use as little curing salt in my food as possible. Here is simple cheap sensor pack to check temperatures around the home. In this guide, Im going to show you how to make it for yourself. What I see is my humidity collapses in conjunction with the temp dropping.appears the humidity collapse might precede temp drop but not certain, they follow very closely. I have one question this batch had lost a little bit of the Worcester sauce and vinegar flavour as I added bi-carb of soda to the mix. Mould sometimes happen if the airflow is not good enough and the humidity is high. Thanks Chris! Copyright 2023 NewLifeOnAHomestead.com - All rights reserved. Good. If yo u live in a naturally humid place, or if it has been raining a lot, you need to be extra careful - especially if it's also hot! Don't blitz it too fine. When I took the shoulder out of the bag to hang, it had a slightly greyish tinge to it. Your email address will not be published. If you like very smokey then go for longer but you will lose some of that pure meatiness a bit if you smoke it a lot. The recipe for the biltong spice can be found below and this can be made at the same time. My wife cant stand biltong, never has, UNTIL NOW! Here are the ingredients and equipment you will need to make biltong. But what I love of the weight ratio youve added in. You can pick them up pretty cheap online. Ill be getting something like this soon, temp & humidity sensor/logger prob get most consistent in basement? You can use red wine instead of vinegar if youd prefer. Do you ever use pink curing salt when making Biltong? This comes down to personal preference. I do not mind waiting 2 or 3 weeks. It was also typically made in the winter months when the colder temperatures would reduce the risk of mold. After 3 hours simply wipe off the salt but. You want to see the different spices. It it too high ? It will happily stay high quality in the fridge for two weeks loosely wrapped or a few months vacuum sealed. Bicarb has a pretty unpleasant taste, so its important to keep the quantity low. My Aussie and ZA mates all love it. You can use curing salt. Your house seems like the place to be) Thanks! Thus giving us a delicious product that is safeguarded against spoilage. For this recipe we will be using beef as anyone can get their hands on some at the local butcher or supermarket. There are many curing methods used for a variety of cured foods and the method used depends on the raw product and the desired final result. There are some methods I have come across, like having bowls of saltwater inside a small chamber to have some impact on humidity or using some form of disposable cigar environmental control products. Another way is to rub the biltong with very hot cut chilli then add the rub. But its good to just go over the basics, first off the quality of the meat. As a bit of a prepper, I have been making beef and venison jerky for more than a decade. Many DIY biltong makers will use a biltong box with a fan and a lightbulb in to create good air circulation. This might seem a little odd, but it has scientific reasoning. Use scales when weighing out ingredients. Many home biltong makers add a lot of ingredients to their biltong, thinking that adding more will lead to a better result, but in reality theyre muddying the clarity of the flavour and masking the star of the showgood quality meat! Don't store in craft bags as the meat will keep drying out. Brown vinegar is more traditional. Seeking the passionate behind the passion. When you grind the spices, it releases the compounds that give them the flavor. Its called Sukuthi and is normally made out of water buffalo or goat. . Mold can look like its only on the surface but often the threads in the mold may have penetrated the food to a deeper level. For this, you will need a spray bottle for food. Traditionally, brown vinegar has been used to make biltong. After youve cut the biltong slabs, dry all the moisture off with towels. By far the best biltong I have ever tried! The sugar helps with drying through osmosis, latching onto the water molecules and wicking them away. MAC is good if you're looking for good price/quality. Worked well. Black pepper and beef are a pair made in heaven. Lie the meat down in a flat glass container (you don't want to use metal because the vinegar might react with it), then place this glass container in the refrigerator. Nine times out of ten, the answer will be its fine and to leave it and check on it tomorrow. Many folks do love it and that's cool too. Been making and munching the stuff for years. Would a little chili powder in the wet marinade be OK or would it ruin it? Hang your meat in a biltong box or other dry-air well-ventilated area away from pests, insects or animals. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Excellent website. Texture-wise biltong is more similar to bresaola when made correctly and beef jerky is more of a leathery sometimes wet and chewy consistency. Viva La France! just a random story. I like a little fat because it helps carry flavour, but I tend to remove most of it before hanging. I assume the compressor is on during the drop. Now I truly appreciate other people are learning from this blog which summarizes what I have learned. a Bad initial product won't turn out nice. Weigh the meat individually and place a label onto a stainless steel or paper clip or meat hook and then the paper clip or meat hook through the meat. Try a small batch first and keep an eye on it :) 4 Reply ethnastydizasty 4 yr. ago I'm also in the PNW (Vancouver, Canada) and I just finished building a new box. Your tutorial is very good and your recipe looks amazing. What you want is a good steady stream of air running past the meat, but not too strong. My South African friends say Biltong is superior to Jerky in every way and if that is true, I can't wait to try this. The fan was drawing in the oxygen and therefore pumping some more additional fresh air. Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world.

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