By Dallan Murphy of Bareback Biltong

Bareback Biltong was born out of a passion for excellent food. It began with the desire to produce a quality on the go snack supported by a brand that was fun, and didn’t take themselves too seriously.

Being foodies at heart, we always felt other dried meat brands tasted a little rubbery. So we set out to produce a product that held its beef flavour, stayed tender and was the perfect healthy snack.

The point of difference with Bareback Biltong is it actually tastes like beef – it’s tender, and the spices enhance the flavour.

What’s the process?

Biltong is a dried, cured meat and, while the method is very easy, the process is long.

The meat needs to be prepared, cured for 24 hours (turned at the 12-hour mark), seasoned and hung in a drying facility at 40-60 degrees Celsius or 104-140 degrees Fahrenheit for four to six days – allowing for optimal marination.

Biltong in drying facility

Once ready, the beef is sliced to the desired size and served ready to eat.

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Ingredients

    • 1kg of topside beef (capped or uncapped)
    • 200ml brown vinegar
    • 2 tbsp salt
    • 2 tbsp pepper
    • 1 tsp dehydrated garlic
    • 1 tbsp paprika
    • 1 tbsp crushed/shaved nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp coriander

Method

Step 1

Slice topside beef into 25mm strips, place in a Tupperware container and cover in brown vinegar.

Topside beef cut into strips on a wooden board

Step 2

Seal container and place it in the fridge to sit for 24hrs – making sure to turn at the 12-hour mark.

Step 3

Mix herbs and spices in a bowl.

Spices and spice mix

Step 4

Take the beef out of the fridge and marinate in herbs and spices mix.

Step 5

Take marinated beef and hang in drying area for four to six days. Timing will depend on how wet you want your biltong.

Step 6

Once desired wetness has been achieved take the dried, cured beef and slice to desired thickness. While the desired wetness comes down to individual preference, we look at the firmness of the middle of the beef – there should be no slack in it, and it should bounce back straight away.

Step 7

Store your biltong in a sealed glass container in a cool dry place.