How to make biltong (in 5 simple steps)

[@paulapenny6223]

I was born in Africa and brought up on biltong. I recently made my own drying box with a heat lamp and a fan, but the biltong always seemed too hard on the outside, and the slices turned quite dry quickly. Then I saw this video where you said you don't need heat for the drying process (unlike jerky). I made a new batch just using the fan on the box, and after about 5 days, my biltong was nicely cured and beautifully soft and tender. Thank you for sharing this video 😊

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Paula, What a wonderful write up 👏🏼 So great to hear that another fellow Saffa is able to make some delicious home made biltong with our how to video 🙂 We love being able to bring SA methods of eating healthy dried meats to all those who are looking for a healthier alternative to Jerky, and other nasty junk snacks, so it's so lovely to hear you were able to make your own to your liking. The Barbell team, and i want to say a big thank you for your kind words, and support ✊🏼 Best, Mehnsaik

[@paulapenny6223]

@@barbellfoods I also read your article about storing sliced biltong in a glass jar with a piece of paper towel in the bottom which you say can last 4-8 weeks in the pantry. Genius! I did that with my last batch and although biltong doesn't last long in our household, the jar kept it fresh for about 5 days, much better than storing in a paper bag :)

[@veggieman_sa]

You’re an embarrassment to South Africans

[@Itsmemaiteg]

Hi guys. First time Biltong maker here. I’ve followed everything you guys have said. Even bought a mosquito net. I have a batch hanging out since Saturday. Obviously it’s not ready yet but I check on it everyday and it’s looking good. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe and teaching us how to do it.

[@barbellfoods]

That's amazing to hear, the pleasure is all ours! Soon you'll be munching on some delicious, home-made biltong 😋 Best, Ash

[@barbellfoods]

Hey maitegoita, We're super keen to hear how your first biltong process went, any news or stories to share? 🙂👏🏼 All the best, Mehnsaik

[@sme4969]

come on its been 6 months so let's know how you got on?

[@AdamFrost-fn9yc]

Just tried my first batch of this recipe. Thanks for the video. I think 12 hours of vinegar is a bit too much for me, however. The spice ratio is excellent. I think I’ll grind up the Coriander to more of a fine powder and maybe only soak the meat for an hour or two in the vinegar. Thanks again for the instruction

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Adam, We love that you took initiative to test out our recipe! I'm truly appreciate of all those who go out and get to things, so it's lovely to see you finding your own balance of greta biltong 🙂 Enjoy the biltong, and hope you don't have to wait too long for the next batch to dry. All the best, Mehnsaik

[@elisepakeman1352]

I grew up in Zambia with a father who was a keen hunter, so ours was always venison. Made in winter and hung on the wash line to dry. A whole kudu made a lot of biltong so the bathtub was scrubbed to within an inch of its life and used to marinate biltong overnight. OK food nazis just to say I have survived 75 years.

[@barbellfoods]

What a beautiful write up Elise, sounds to me you had the best childhood ever with fresh game meat, and a dad who always got the family into nature 😍 I could only imagine the amount of meat a Kudu could bring, and don't worry there's no Food Nazis around here, we all just love healthy eating, running around in nature, and making bathtub sizes of biltong too! We really appreciate the time you took to write such a great comment up, and all of us at Barbell send our best to you and the family 👏🏼 Best, Mehnsaik

[@DeeTee79]

Watching people’s how to make Biltong videos is my go to while my own Biltong is either marinating or hanging. I like hearing as many different recipes as I can.

[@barbellfoods]

Thanks for reaching out! I hope you enjoyed our biltong making process, and it's awesome to hear that you're making your own ✊ Best, Ash

[@TimFSpears]

Nothing worse than having to wait for biltong to dry! I’m into day 4 and I’ve already eaten one piece (that was basically raw beef). My garage smells awesome!

[@barbellfoods]

Make sure you don't eat it too early Tim, wouldn't want you to get a tummy ache 😆 It's now been 4 days since your comment, so i hope you have some delicious Biltong for lunch today! Best, Mehnsaik

[@richardswift6250]

I did it! And the family LOVE it! You have helped me become a hero again.. thanks guys!

[@barbellfoods]

Barbell always tends to attract hero's, so i ain't surprised you came by Richard 😎 Were super stoked to hear the whole family love it! Best wishes, Mehnsaik

[@JontySmithcom]

Thanks for the video. I'd highly recommend not hooking with anything. Use food grade materials, seeing that vinegar is used , which can leach metals.

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Jonty, Thanks for reaching out! I appreciate the feedback, and we'll be sure to keep on top of this for future videos ✊🏽 I'll pass this on to our team, as i would not want to be ingesting any unwanted metals at all, so thank you for letting us know of this. Also, we do not hook anything in commercial production, only hang on food grade racks, soyou can rest assured we are covered on that part 🙂 Best wishes, Mehnsaik

[@TommyGunOZ]

the bike spoke setup is such a cool idea! for years i have just used a recycled cupboard. Thx for the tip :)

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Tommy, Cool to see you picked up on this, and it was a bit of luck when we found out about making use of the bike spoke, so were stoked to hear we could help you out 😎 All the best for your next batch! Best, Mehnsaik

[@Stura_tv]

Still feels strange listing to an Ozzy on how to make Biltong, Né, wat maar toe, die wêreld is snaaks.

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Stura, I know it seems strange, but Rory in the video here is a born and bred Saffa! He's been in Australia since his late teens, so the Aussie accent has taken over pretty well, but trust me we use our family recipes, and then add our own to make it to our liking as all Saffas do with their own recipes 👏🏼 Hope that helps clear some questions haha All the best, Mehnsaik

[@andypanteli7147]

I was in south Africa 1982 Bilton was my revered dried meat but the best was Ostrich

[@ChuckisOutside]

I can’t wait to try this. Do you ever have an issue with animal stealing your drying meat? Mice or larger critters? Thanks. It was the dance that earned my subscription. 🤣👏👏

[@grootsgracemission]

You guys do a great job. You should try some Worcester sauce in your brine. I also like a bit of Chilly powder in the brine, but not the dry spices, before hanging.

[@robertlong4118]

How much vinegar do you use ? Thanks

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Robert, Great question. For our personal method we'd recommend just using enough white vinegar to cover the raw steak cuts by about 1-2 cm in a good quality bucket for at least 2-3 hours before drying, so it is depenedent on how much meat you will be curing overall, and we recommend soaking overnight as we like that light vinegar flavour to our biltong. I hope this helps clear things up! Best, Mehnsaik

[@jc2557]

Hi guys, just tucking into your salt & vinegar ones as I'm watching this video, Fantastic flavour, not sure which is best original or this. They are both extraordinary!! Healthy clean snack love them. Still got the chilli to open looking forward, I'll report back, great work team!

[@OldRhino]

I can see your mouths move, but all I can hear is my ancestors crying.

[@barbellfoods]

It's a good thing we're more adapted to our visual senses with the current world around us, Gerhardt 😉 Seriously though, i hope we didn't offend at all, this is our way of making biltong, and we know there's different nuisances to how one likes their biltong, but our overall mission is to bring healthy meat snacks to Australia inspired by our SA homeland. Best regards, Mehnsaik

[@youmeandtheGSDs]

I always take Barbell with me when hiking.; it’s absolutely the best. Thankyou for sharing this with us :)

[@barbellfoods]

Hey there, Thanks for the lovely comment, and so stoked to hear you are able to enjoy our snacks out and about! Some of the boys from Barbell are heading to New Zealand to hike soon, and you best believe we got snacks to go 😎 Hope you've been enjoying some fresh air, and if you haven't, here's your reminder to! Best wishes, Mehnsaik

[@mountainman9145]

Could you use the Australian Woolworths corned silverside vacuum wrapped in the plastic bags? It has already been salted so you would just have to marinate in vinegar and the other spices.

[@barbellfoods]

You sure can, and that's a great convenient way to do your own biltong, we'd recommend that you put in some more sea salt as it helps to have dry fresh salt used. Either way, you'll still great a great bunch of tasty biltong in the process 😁 Best, Mehnsaik

[@mountainman9145]

@@barbellfoods Thank you for your reply. I will take the advice of adding dry fresh sea salt.

[@goodcat1982]

If i dry it for say 1 week, how long will it last if i go camping with no refrigeration?

[@mikeleonard8031]

There is not much humidity in the winter time and the meat will dry out quicker. Never use metal coat hangers because the steel will rust and poison you.Plastic hooks and plastic coated paper clips works best.

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Mike, yep that's spot on about winter being the best time to hang biltong and good point RE the metal hooks. We're far from the coast in Canberra (the weather here is similar to the highveld) so nothing really rusts which is why I had never considered that about the steel coat hangers so it's a fair point if you get rust. Can't beat the plastic hooks IMO. Cheers, Ash

[@sueb6831]

South africa invented biltong Bruce

[@barbellfoods]

Yes they sure did, and for those who may want more info: Biltong specifically was first brought to life by the native South Africans in the early 1600s as a way to preserve meat for future meals. They preserved their meat by curing with salt, other simple spices and then hanging steaks out to air dry in the sun, before slicing it into thick strips ready for consumption while travelling long distance without needing to cook any meats. Thanks for the comment Sue, appreciate it! 🙂 All the best, Mehnsaik

[@kierans8635]

Great to meet you today Mehnsaik, and thanks for the video suggestion. Will have another crack at this.

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Kieran, Super stoked to see you are giving Biltong making another go, and do check back in when you have finished your first batch my friend 😁 Best, Mehnsaik

[@narmen6942]

I hope the biltong is better than the song and dance. 😂😂

[@21glenn375]

Thank you for the information. I'm going to start a batch this week!

[@barbellfoods]

The pleasure is all ours, and best of luck with your biltong ✊ Best, Ash

[@bazoomba]

Pickled biltong lol

[@barbellfoods]

Pickled foods are pretty delicious but hey! Thanks for reaching out bazoomba ✊🏼 Best, Mehnsaik

[@MMMORPGPVPPLAYER]

Since when do Australian make Biltong? Biltong is a South African thing...Can you even call this Biltong?

[@barbellfoods]

Hey there, Thanks for reaching out to us. I totally understand where your coming from ✊🏼 Two of our four founders, Rory and Luke who are in this video are born and bred Saffas! They came to Australia in the late teens, thus why the Aussie accent has come through more now. Our biltong recipes are truly first hand inputs from family and friends from SA, and we have decided to than create our own version of the best of both world's with highest quality Australian sourced ingredients such as the organic grass fed and finished beef with a traditional SA foundation. We actually have on all of our Biltong packages in bigger writing 'Air Dried Steak' as we find this is what more Australians may be accustom to if they have never had biltong before, but all packages have both 'Biltong' and 'Air Dried Steak' as a proud nod to both of the places we call home for our meat snacks 🙂✊🏼 Hope this helps to clear things up a little, and thanks again for the great question. Best, Mehnsaik

[@aladslife7963]

can you store or freeze the marinade to use again?

[@barbellfoods]

Hi aladslife7963, We'd recommend that you use a new batch of marinade as there is a possibility of the former raw meats adding bacteria to the mix. Thanks for this great question, and i hope you are waiting on some delicious biltong of your own soon! 😋 Best, Mehnsaik

[@chris.eskimo]

What is the safest way to store biltong for the long term (ie. Prepper) ? And how long would it be safely viable ?

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Chris, Great question, and we are happy to say we have the perfect answers. If unopened, you can store our bags in a freezer at -18 and they last up to 3+ years! If opened, store in freezer safe bag, and they will easily store for 6-12 months. We have an awesome 'how to store biltong' page on our website. Here is the link: www.barbellfoods.com.au/pages/storing-your-biltong you can also just google' Barbell Foods storing biltong' to find it 🙂 All the best, Mehnsaik

[@paulgee3411]

Why not take 30 secs to pre-mix the dry spices? Just dumping them onto the wet meat like that will not give you an even coating.

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Paul, I think you may be right with the case of even coating, and during our usual processes in our production we use the even coating method, but we love to do it the old school way here as this is how we were taught as little Saffas by family. Either way, as long as you are enjoying making (and eating) your biltong, than it's all the right way for us! Appreciate the great comment mate 🙂 Best, Mehnsaik

[@OutbackMike]

Cool. I’ll try that😊

[@barbellfoods]

I'm glad to hear that, Mike. I hope it goes well, and make sure you do a little dance to finish 😉 Best, Ash

[@ZingZingNZ]

I love biltong. So good to go from a fatty lunch to meat

[@barbellfoods]

Biltong is like the perfect balance of pure meat, to having that good bit of fat like ours does at the end. All while always being able to store it anywhere while your on the go 😎 Appreciate the comment ZingZing, and hope you are having some biltong for lunch this week! Best, Mehnsaik

[@ANRQAngel]

It wouldn't be my first time making Biltong, but have you guys ever tried making biltong from minute steaks? Thinking of trying this..

[@barbellfoods]

Hey mate, I think we may have dabbled in this, and found that we love the thicker and more moist pieces out of cutting from a solid cut of topside or silverside. But, we love the recommend, and i may personally have to try my luck out with minute steaks in the near future as i haven't tried this myself yet! ✊🏼 Best regards, Mehnsaik

[@ANRQAngel]

@@barbellfoodsThank you for replying. I too prefer thicker cuts, I just wanted to try minute steaks as it's a perfect portion size for when I want to snack.. And I did, the cure takes about 15 minutes, and I hung them overnight and they were perfect the next morning, slightly wetter than what you guys sell, but that's how I like it.. delicious..

[@azizaren1881]

Hey, lovely video, i currently live in in europe and im not sure if the weather is suitable to dry outside, i searched how to make a dry box but i dont have any experience with electrical wires so thats a no for me, could i buy a dryer for meat and vegetables? Would it do the job?

[@azizaren1881]

It's around 21 to 30 degrees here and it's quite humid compared to south Africa

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Azizaren1881, Thanks for reaching out to us 🙂 I do believe that biltong will be fine to do with a meat dryer, but to have an even drying process you would have to have the meats being able to be hanging and not laying flat within the dryer for best traditional results. Put the temperature between 25-40 degrees, and in about 3 days, with 1-2 days added for dryness/moist preference you should be all good to go ✊🏼 I hope that helps clear things up! Best regards, Mehnsaik

[@jeffritter3899]

Great video. Can you tell us what kind of vinegar you prefer? I don’t see it listed here.

[@barbellfoods]

Hi Jeff, We use gluten free white vinegar, you can purchase these easily from you local grocer (we have woolworths in Australia, or De la rosa as an organic gluten free brand we love also). Thanks again for reaching 🙂 All the best, Mehnsaik

[@lindsayharris5954]

Great video. . . Thank you from Canada

[@barbellfoods]

We had an awesome time filming it, so the pleasure is all ours 😁 Thanks for the kind words, Lindsay, I appreciate it ✊ Best, Ash

[@xcaluber]

Lekker! :)

[@barbellfoods]

Thanks xcaluber, we appreciate the support! Have an awesome week mate 😎 Best, Mehnsaik

[@marcellvanaswegen4594]

Wow first time seeing a vinegar bath like this. #teamsplasher

[@barbellfoods]

This is very much a spa session to prep the steaks for the hard work ahead 😉 Best, Mehnsaik

[@giuseppeletizia8496]

What about put the amount of the spices please

[@barbellfoods]

Thanks for reaching out, and that's a good question. When making a biltong spice mix, the first thing to note is the salt. This should be approximately 2% of the meat weight (i.e. 1000g of meat will require 20g of salt). With any other spices you'd like to add (i.e. coriander seeds, black pepper), you can experiment with these to your own liking. A general guideline for the ingredients we used in this video (per 1kg of meat) includes: - 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper - 1 tablespoon coriander seed I hope that helps, and thanks again for reaching out. All the best, Ash

[@sme4969]

factory biltong is to dry and when in the packet bought from the shop becomes more like Jerry..

[@barbellfoods]

Hey there, Thanks for the reaching out 🙂 Have you had our biltong in particular? i think you'll find we actually leave 20-30% fat on each of our cut pieces so it's a lot more tender and soft than others ✊🏼 But yes, i do agree that most biltong that is packaged tends to be a lot drier than usual. Best, Mehnsaik

[@Rex-c5t]

I hang mine 3 to 4 day s!!

[@barbellfoods]

Mmm sounds like someone likes their biltong nice and wet 😋 Thanks for reaching out, and hope you have some biltong hanging right now bud! Best, Mehnsaik

[@TWINS10984]

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@barbellfoods]

😘😘

[@kiwishamoo6494]

Too much vinegar for too long

[@barbellfoods]

Hey there, Thanks for reaching out to us. I understand that vinegar soaking times can vary, and we believe that everyone has a preference, as long as you soak for a minimum of 6 hours it's all safe to go ahead with a short soaking period than our overnight method. The reason we marinate the biltong longer in gluten-free white vinegar is due to the strong, natural antimicrobial properties that vinegar has. Marinating biltong in vinegar is one of the primary processes that prevents bacterial growth, so it's a vital step in our process. We believe leaving it longer will create our unique flavour that is even safer to store, eat, and make as it's been soaked longer. All in all, making biltong is as mentioned, an individual journey to find your own sweet spot! Thanks for reaching out, and hope this helps clear up our approach using Vinegar 🙂 Best, Mehnsaik

[@miamidiver7]

What camo is that on your shirts? And I;m looking forward to trying your style of curing!

[@barbellfoods]

Hey there, The camo shirt Rory is wearing, is a homemade camo tie dye shirt, highly recommend making these! Thank you for the message, and hope you can give us a try soon mate 😎 All the best, Mehnsaik

[@TheReignharder]

Lovely job chaps!!

[@barbellfoods]

Thanks @TheReignharder, Appreciate the support, and kind words! Best, Mehnsaik

[@shaneburns4349]

Thanks very much for sharing.

[@Andre-oc7gg]

At the very least give credit to South Africans.

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Andre, Thanks for reaching out. Apologies if we didn't clarify it enough in this video, but every single one of our products, and in all of our videos, we do our best to write or represent SA traditions in our biltong and droewors range. All the best, Mehnsaik

[@veggieman_sa]

lol Aussies making biltong. Ok then.

[@barbellfoods]

Born and bred Saffas who moved to Australia, and loved our home food biltong so much that we wanted to share it with friends and family here in wonderful Aus, who happen to get popular in the community and now share it with a bigger family all around 😋 I know Rory and Luke's accents are not as distinct as they use to be, but Aussies have a strong tone that just takes over after a few years haha Hope that helps clear things up, and we appreciate the comment Vegman9415 ✊🏼 Best, Mehnsaik

[@cregenda]

Are you guys originally South African?

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Cregenda, Rory and luke who are in this video are born and bred Saffas. They moved over to Australia in their late teens, and have plenty of family there. The whole team at Barbell however are an eclectic bunch of rascals from all over, we also have Burmese, Australian, Slovakian, Nepalese, and Colombian team members! Thanks for the comment ✊🏼 Best, Mehnsaik

[@m.s.769]

Greetings from Canada. Wonderful! I have been making biltong for a few years in a homemade biltong box. I have cuts from an eye of round, a venison steak and deer heart hanging now. I am curious how the latter will turn out. Good luck with your business!

[@barbellfoods]

Hey M.s.769, I kid you not, our whole team just had a home cooked lunch of freshly hunted venison stew 😋 It's so great to hear you are making biltong, and experimenting with different cuts to dry with. How did the heart turn out? i am very curious to hear about this 🙂 Appreciate the kind words, and support! Mehnsaik

[@roryrathbone3934]

Super intersested in how the heart biltong turned out. Any upodate?

[@Unknown70896]

Yea that got full of mould after a couple weeks.

[@schoemanstoffel77]

Way too dry

[@barbellfoods]

Hey Schoemanstoffel77, Thanks for reaching out. We apologise for the flavour our biltong being dry, and it seems you may have had an unusually dry pack, as we tend to be known for making more moist or fatty biltong with our approach to leaving 20-30% of the grass fed fat on each cut of our biltong. If you are located in Australia, please send through a message to [e-mail] 🙂 I'll be happy to help make this a more positive experience, and ask further feedback to help up improve our products. All the best, Mehnsaik

[@not.likely]

It's too dry

[@barbellfoods]

Is this regarding our packaged biltong florreal4891, or for the process of making it at home? Happy to help out here 🙂 Mehnsaik

[@jairusjanagustin8175]

You can eat sinew!! You just dont know how to cook it

[@barbellfoods]

Thanks for reaching out! You're right - sinew can be eaten and is often delicious. However, when it comes to biltong, there is no cooking involved - it is simply airflow and humidity that is used to cure the meat. Therefore, the sinew in biltong remains tough and grisly, which is why we remove it. I hope that clears things up, and thanks again for reaching out. All the best, Ash

[@jairusjanagustin8175]

@@barbellfoods what is the basic recipe of biltong??

[@jairusjanagustin8175]

I'm from the Philippines and the only foreign dying method I learned is jerky but they say biltong is much more tasty

[@colinanderson1655]

@@jairusjanagustin8175 So right. Jerky is over processed in true American fashion. I make it in Bali using a biltong box .

[@saulastin4867]

If only a video explaining that existed.@@jairusjanagustin8175

[@PrincessKickingButt]

Thank you. I am going to try this method. I usually make mine in the oven

[@barbellfoods]

glad you enjoy the content, drying in the oven is a suitable method and more akin to how they dry jerky. Good luck with the biltong, will be interesting to see how it comes out. Cheers, Luke