Perfect Week to Make Homemade Biltong
Sainsbury’s have their Beef Roasting joints half price again, over the Easter Period, so it’s a perfect time to grab yourself some, and knock up some delicious home-made biltong.
I wrote this recipe a couple of years ago, based on extensive research, before making my own biltong for the first time — it was a massive success, and made absolutely perfect biltong — I’ve made it several times since then, and haven’t had to alter the recipe a bit.
The real things to keep an eye on, are don’t leave it in the salt mix for a minute longer that required, make sure the salt is thoroughly rinsed off with the re-used vinegar solution, and keep an eye on the drying times.
I use a fan-assisted oven, that will run at very low temperature — monitored with a room thermometer — keeping the temperature around 32 degrees C, and no more than 35. The door is left an inch or so ajar, for better ventilation. I only run the oven in the evenings and at night, leaving it off during the day. It takes about 6 days of this to dry it out — it should be *just* a little soft when you squeeze it — not rock hard. Don’t be afraid to cut pieces open and look at them. It really depends on how dry you like your Biltong — it’s really difficult to cut when completely dry, but no less delicious.
