🇿🇦 South African Biltong

Biltong is air-dried, spiced beef that South Africans have been making for centuries. The cure of vinegar, salt, coriander, and pepper preserves the meat while it dries. The result is chewy, intensely savoury, and completely addictive.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Beef Silverside or Topside
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Coarse Salt
• 2 tbsp Toasted Coriander Seeds, crushed
• 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 cup Brown Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Method

1. Mix sugar, salt, coriander, pepper, and baking soda in a bowl.
2. Rub the spice mix all over the meat strips.
3. Layer meat in a glass dish, cover, and cure in the fridge 24 hours.
4. Remove meat and brush off excess spice.
5. Dip each strip in vinegar mixed with Worcestershire sauce.
6. Hang strips on hooks in a well-ventilated, dry place (or biltong box) for 3–5 days.
7. Check daily. Biltong is ready when firm outside but still slightly moist inside.
8. Slice thinly against the grain to serve.

History

Biltong — from the Dutch bil (hindquarter) and tong (strip) — has been made in southern Africa since the 17th century. Indigenous Khoisan peoples were already drying meat in the sun, and Dutch settlers adapted the technique using vinegar and salt as preservatives. During the Great Trek of the 1830s, biltong was a practical way for Voortrekkers to carry protein without refrigeration, and it became an essential part of the Afrikaner larder. Today it is a national snack, sold in every supermarket and made at home in garages and spare rooms across the country.

The science

The preservation of biltong relies on three things working together: salt draws moisture out of the meat through osmosis, vinegar lowers the surface pH enough to inhibit most bacteria, and airflow removes the moisture that remains. The salt and vinegar do not cook the meat — they simply create an environment where spoilage organisms cannot thrive. The coriander and pepper are there for flavour, but they also contribute mild antimicrobial compounds. The slow drying process concentrates the meat’s natural flavours, which is why good biltong tastes far more intense than the raw beef it started as.

Substitutions

Silverside and topside are the classic cuts because they are lean and uniform, but any lean beef works — just avoid fatty cuts, which turn rancid during drying. For a game version, venison and ostrich are both excellent and traditional. If you do not have a biltong box, a fan-assisted oven on its lowest setting with the door slightly open will work, though the texture will be closer to jerky than traditional biltong. Apple cider vinegar can stand in for brown vinegar if needed.

Chef's tip

Airflow is everything. A fan-assisted biltong box dries evenly in 2–3 days.

Drink pairing

Cold beer, rugby, and good company. A hoppy pale ale works particularly well, as the bitterness cuts through the salt and fat of the meat.