National Dishes of the World

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Biltong
Photo: Delia du Plessis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

snack

Biltong

Air-dried strips of beef or game cured in vinegar with coriander and pepper – the region’s favourite snack.

Eaten in: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Prep
30 min
Cooking
0 min
Resting
108 h
Total
108 h 30 min
Servings
8

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About the dish

Biltong is dried meat that people across southern Africa eat everywhere: at rugby matches, on road trips, at picnics and simply between meals. Thick strips of beef or game such as kudu, springbok, oryx or ostrich are splashed with vinegar, rubbed with salt, toasted coriander and pepper, then air-dried for several days in a breezy spot. Unlike jerky, biltong is neither smoked nor cooked, and the vinegar and coriander give it a distinct, slightly tangy flavour. It is sold in whole sticks or sliced, from bone-dry to moist in the middle, and its close cousin is the dried sausage droëwors.

Main ingredients

  • beef or game
  • vinegar
  • coarse salt
  • coriander seeds
  • black pepper
  • brown sugar

Namibia: In Namibia it is often made from game such as oryx or kudu.

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

Biltong

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/biltong

Ingredients

8 servings

8 servings

Method

  1. Cut the beef along the grain into strips about 2 cm thick and 15–20 cm long, trimming off any membrane.

  2. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant and crush them coarsely in a mortar with the pepper, salt and sugar.

  3. Splash the strips with vinegar, coat them in the spice mix, lay them in a dish, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours, turning once.

  4. Take the meat out, shake off any excess liquid and pat it dry with kitchen paper.

  5. Hang the strips on hooks or clips in an airy, dry, cool place or in a biltong box, making sure they do not touch.

  6. Dry for 3–5 days until the meat is dark and firm outside and, depending on taste, slightly moist or completely dry inside.

  7. Slice thinly across the grain with a sharp knife and store in a paper bag.

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