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BUTCHER'S BISTRO: Biltong

The Butcher (Dominic Etynkowski)
Apr 20, 2015
3 min read

When a hunter kills a deer, the carcass is cut up into meal sized portions, packed up and thrown in the freezer. In a world without cold refrigerators, consuming all 200lbs of a deer before it rots is a horrible way to live. Most definitely not sustainable. Biltong (Dutch for "butt-tongue") is one of the most ancient forms of meat preservation. They found some of this stuff in the Egyptian tombs that was still decent. It's super easy to make, you don't need an expensive food dehydrator, it's ready in just a few days and it tastes way better than commercial jerky. There are hundreds of recipes out there and they all vary quite differently, so I summed up all the important info that will ensure you don't fuck it up, the rest will be up to your taste buds. Materials: - wide pan or tray that fits in your fridge - plastic coated paper clips or zip-ties - Wire, rope, broom handle, etc, something to hang the meat on later Ingredients: - Meat slabs (beef, bison, deer, moose, not chicken or pork) approx. 25cm long, 8cm wide, 2cm thick - Salt (They say kosher is the best, I used sea and I bet regular iodized table would work fine too) - Sugar (They say brown is the best, I used raw cane, white is probably ok too) - Vinegar (They say wine vinegar is the best, I used malt, white works too) - Spices (Traditional: black pepper + coriander. I also used chili, turmeric, cumin, lemon, curry, garlic) Procedure: - Rinse off your strips of meat to wash away any bacteria or bloody debris. Pull off any loose bits of meat or fat, but you don't need to remove all the fat. - Give the meat strips a quick coat in the vinegar. Dip them in or splash it on top. - Mix a 1/2 cup of sugar to 1 cup salt (1:2 ratio) - Spread a thin even layer of salty sugar on the bottom of the tray. - Lay the strips on the salty sweet layer and sprinkle more salty sugar on top of the meat evenly. - Let the meat marinade in the fridge for a few hours. (I did 10hrs and they came out a bit too salty, which is the most common problem when making biltong. I'll do 5hrs next time and maybe cut down to 3 after.) - The meat will have oozed many liquids and it will have gotten darker and more ridged ;-) Rinse and lightly scrub the meat under running water to wash off any leftover salt. - Mix your spices and rub them onto both sides of your meat evenly. - Bend the paper clips into hooks or pull the zip-ties through whichever end is thicker and hang them up so they don't touch each other. I put mine next to a hot air vent. You can put them across a door way or in a closet, as long as there's good air flow and you make sure bugs stay off the meat. - Depending oh how soft or tough you want it, let them dry for several days to a couple weeks. I left mine for 4 days and they're amazing. Notes: - Biltong is superior to jerky in that it retains a higher percentage of protein and fat. - It can store for many years if protected from pests. Until you need to bugout, you can store it in ziploc bags in a freezer. If you want to be extra hardcore, vacuum seal it in mylar bags and it'll probably outlive the Sun. - If it's too tough to eat as is, shred it into some hot water to soften it up and it'll beef-up your stew. - If flies are bothering your rack, drape some cheese cloth over the meat to keep them off. Biltong is best made in winter because bugs aren't around to bother it and the dry air accelerates the mummification.