Easy home-made biltong in 3 days

Home-made biltong in 3 days and no special equipment? Super easy.  You can use your oven as a simple, temporary drying cabinet - by leaving the light on to create a little warmth and with the door ajar, you’ll create a little air movement to dry the meat perfectly

You can make biltong from most cuts of meat - but to be honest i can’t really tell the difference when it’s dried, so i use silver side or top side most of the time. It’s readily available and inexpensive. Some like their biltong salty, some not, some wet and some like it dry. This recipe is so quick and easy, you can experiment to your hearts content.

Note: If you like a little more flavour, add 1 tbsp of Worcester sauce, and 1 tsp smoked hickory powder.

• 750 g topside / silverside beef
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground coriander
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp salt

1. Cut the meat thinly, along the grain (the opposite way you would cut a steak), about 3 - 5 mm thick. The thinner, the quicker it will dry.
2. Put the meat in an airtight plastic container and add the vinegar, making sure all the meat is coated. Pour away any excess.
3. Sprinkle on the coriander, pepper, sugar and salt. Make sure the meat is evenly coated
4. Leave over night in the fridge
5. Remove from the plastic container, lightly pat dry and arrange on a wire rack in the oven
6. Turn the oven light on and leave the oven door ajar (you shouldn’t need the fan on)
7. 48 hours later it should be ready to eat! (may be earlier or later depending on how thick you have sliced the meat). I switch the trays over after the first night to ensure even drying.
8. You can dust the biltong with other spices to add a little variety - see below!

Try sprinkling the biltong with a generous helping of the below spice mix - it knocks it up a notch!

Peri Peri spice mix

• 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp Ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/4 tsp Onion powder