making biltong in humid climate
Recipe was easy and the result was tasty. Its easy to over-salt biltong, making it almost unbearable to eat in bigger quantities (lets face it, whos going to only eat a little biltong? Tanja, I live in Colorado (low humidity) and just hang my biltong in the garage with a fan blowing it. That said, its fairly forgiving and a day or two over wont do too much harm. Also dont use balsamic as this will alter the taste. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan, then grind down in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder. I thought there was enough air being pulled through the compressor but it seems it wasnt the case. Once the biltong meat has been spiced, its going to sit in a vinegar marinade for several hours to a day. Choose a box with dimensions of about 60.7 60.7 91.4 cm (1.99 1.99 3.00 ft). Iodized salt has a chemical aftertaste. Increase the airflow and decrease the humidity to prevent another bout of mould. Fennel is the way forward. It just needs to be somewhere in the range of humidity approximately and temperature above. A cool air-conditioned room, or dry cool basement, will also help provide the right environment for making and storing biltong. Better to try smaller pieces in a fridge, I wrote about this here. Once youve given it a try, please let me know how you like it, and if there are any variations to the traditional ingredients you swear by, no matter how strange! Biltong curing consists of salting the meat and then giving it a dredge in a marinade or vinegar solution. JavaScript is disabled. Its 90% humidity there now thats 11 AM in the morning with a sunny day with some cloud intervals). I'd consider getting a commercial dehumidifiercause I've had biltong go mouldy before so the risk is real. Two or three slabs will not last that long and will be eaten within a week or two. The easiest ways to achieve the high humidity and high level of temperature is to have a humidifier and a heater of some sort in the curing chamber. When slicing to serve or eat, cut across the grain. This will help with the drying process, and ensure greater longevity of the final product. You can pick them up pretty cheap online. So, many omit the salt soak and add the salt to the spice mix instead. And that is saltpeter. Been making and munching the stuff for years. and our Government go in and kill deer yet we cant. See the post for an in-depth explanation of the processes involved. If you see the first signs of mould appearingwhite dots or furry moulduse a clean cloth with some vinegar and dab/wipe it off. Malt vinegar is what is used in foreign countries perhaps where they cannot find Spirit vinegar. Step #5: glue the fan. Pieces shouldn't be too thick Thanks again. 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. Toast the spices, apart from the peppercorns, in a dry pan until fragrant and giving off a bit of smoke. Trim off silver skin, connective tissue or any unwanted fat but I suggest you leave the fat on for moisture and flavour. Never come across biltong done with balsamic vinegar before. Not dehydrated. Brown sugar has a caramel and molasses flavour that adds complexity to the meat, without masking it. The fan was drawing in the oxygen and therefore pumping some more additional fresh air. (Non aged). Place a tray underneath the meat while drying. by Runder Biltong February 26, 2022. Ive been using malt vinegar. So dont leave a whack on expecting it to disappear as the meat does. This will balance out the gradient. Freezing is a good option as it can last for up to 12 months in a freezer, but will last a few days in the fridge in a paper bag or in a glass jar. Similar to Biltong Sukuthi is cut into thin strips, spices and salt are rubbed on and then it is either air dried, or smoked until it is totally dried out. Learning and consuming in a circular fashion, I am always interested in what is happening around the curing and smoking world. Use a non-reactive storage container when soaking the meat in vinegar. Buddy a bit of input would be appreciated.I will start tomorrow. It will last longer if it is vacuum sealed. It is eaten in great quantities here, but its popularity is only now starting to spread around the world. The air should preferably dry with good airflow. The trick is just getting it done. Temperature and Humidity for Meat Curing Chamber, Want to Make Charcuterie at Home? Ive added liquid smoke to my brine in the past. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Then proceed as you would with Biltong! Other cuts can be used, but are not as high in quality. For the most basic type of jerky, you can use your kitchen oven with the door ajar open, and it will take a lot faster since jerky is only a thin cut of meat. This might apply to some venison meat or beef cuts not on the prescribed biltong recipe list. Try to create these conditions in whatever way you see fit. Not sure it would move the needle much over here though. Nice basic recipe as used by my family for many years. The ideal climate is warm (not hot), dry, with steady reliable balanced airflow. Biltong made from beef or venison is the most popular. 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. In most cases, flies arent a problem, but pepper has the added benefit of detering them. What were trying to achieve when drying biltong is to concentrate the flavour of the beef by removing a lot of the moisture, similar to dry aging. Cheers T. Ive been wanting to find out if my crawlspace (no actual crawling required) is suitable for hanging and curing meats. The word biltong comes from the combination of the Dutch words bil which means buttock and tong which means tongue or strip. Although biltong is often made with a pure vinegar marinade, the addition of Worcestershire sauce is often used as well. In principle, biltong is made by marinading, spicing, and airdrying strips of meat. I have used it with great success with beef, kangaroo, fallow and red deer meat. My dads buddy from South Africa used to make it using this pre-mix spice and it was unbelievable. Whole muscle meat maybe, salami no thank you! Do this in a well-ventilated kitchen. I have compiled a recipe book as we speak, which will be available soon, it will include what I have learned around meat curing across many different countries as well. This can be challenging in Africa, where the temperature can get up to 40C in summer. . Hopefully Ill be able to find that in some store. Do you have any recommendations on gear that would collect those readings (ideally, digitally) and record them so that I can do a trend analysis? You can loosely cover the meat with a muslin cloth to prevent any flies from getting to it. penicillin a.k.a. Some recipes call for several stages of curing and washing off spices, reapplying them, etcthis is not necessary. Unfortunately its pretty hot in France and the actual temperature of the cellar is 17-18C/62,6-64,4F. My Aussie and ZA mates all love it. I use a half pound of beefsteak (anything that doesnt have much fat) and cut the strips in a variety of widths from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inch so that they cure at different rates, and I can enjoy over a few days. The choice is yours but I fully recommend leaving the fat on. The simplest, if you have space and live in a dry, breezy climate, is to build a simple wooden frame and close the walls with fine mesh wire. Seeking the passionate behind the passion. Nowadays with the plug-and-play controllers for fridges, it makes it super simple, if you use a standard old frost free fridge. 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. Leave some fat for extra flavour, as you like it. Once the meat is ready remove the hooks. I ended up doing this without the pink salt and it is a great recipe. Cut the meat along the grain into strips roughly an inch thick and around 8 to 10 inches long. Some recipes call for balsamic or cider vinegar. It really has a recognisable flavour. The recipe for the biltong spice can be found below and this can be made at the same time. Leave for 12 hours. We will add the peppercorns unroasted. 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. When I started off and built my first meat a curing chamber over 15 years ago, I did a lot of research and read quite a lot of books to make sure I was on the right track. The humidity will also be very . Should I scrap this shoulder and Star with a fresh one? Best for hot smoking, head to do cold smoking at under 86F/30C! In the temperate environments that Ive lived in, the moisture is always higher at night time and this is also useful since you can want the higher levels of humidity when you cold smoking. Thus giving us a delicious product that is safeguarded against spoilage. Black pepper and beef are a pair made in heaven. Copyright 2023 NewLifeOnAHomestead.com - All rights reserved. I only have whole muscle meats hanging in there at the moment : lamb pancetta arrotolata, bresaola and beef bacon. If you don't have a vacuum sealer, then wrap airtight. Great instructions and simple well balanced ingredients. These commercial quick dry solutions wont taste the same. idk about this lightbulb plan. BTW Charlie, have you ever used a pre-mix call Crown Mills now Crown National? 2 Tablespoons of coarse salt. My curing chamber does operate a little bit drier, its a big double door to bar fridge that I converted. Since there was always a little bit of pressure going through the chamber, it was always coming out the hole. Dry in a well ventilated low humidity environment to ensure proper curing. You can air dry the biltong, but it will take longer and you need the right weather, whereas a commercial biltong maker or dehydrator will have a built-in fan for continuous airflow to speed up the process, as well as a light fitting which will prevent the growth of mold, and also help reduce moisture. I have a question on a 4.5 lb Pork shoulder that Im attempting to cure into Spalla. If youre really savvy, you might vary the thickness of slices from thin to thick allow for consistent grazing over the drying process (highly recommended). Just dont overdo itbiting into a lump of peppercorn is not a pleasant experience! Mold is the biggest killer of biltong, especially in humid climates. Salt is a brilliant flavour enhancer and preservative. and your blog is so amazing to lear about that. I use the same recipe also and my wife loves it and unfortunately, the dog is now addicted. Avoid spoilage and make the food more delicious. I live in Denmark and have decided to build my own box. First time making the biltong. Its worth noting that the thicker you cut your initial beef cuts, the slower the drying process must be to avoid case hardening, so try cutting thinner next time. Hot cutting tool. This recipe looks fantastic, very new at all of this. Worked well. Use scales when weighing out ingredients. I thought it just generated heat. Weigh the meat and write it on the label. I had this probably with a large commercial fridge, too much power! I still need to find some stuff to fashion a biltong box out of, so I have some time. If I cut it thin (1/4) it can be ready within 36 hours. Thanks for your time. I wanted to thank you for all the knowledge Im getting from your blog. Everybodys preferences with biltong tend to be different. There is a reddit r/biltong for any questions and recipes you may have. The bicarb neutralises the acid in the vinegar, but also acts as a meat tenderiser. If you pick the right meat, you wont need to use bicarb at all. If you like quite a dry biltong then the venison is really good.
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