COPPERBiltong recipe
Strips of beef cured with vinegar, coarse salt and toasted coriander, then air-dried for several days instead of being cooked or smoked.
Ingredients
- 1000 g beef silverside
- 70 ml brown vinegar
- 35 g coarse salt
- 20 g coriander seeds
- 5 g black pepper
- 10 g brown sugar
How to make Biltong
- Cut 1 kg beef silverside (or topside) along the grain into strips about 2.5 cm thick, trimming off sinew and silver skin.
- Toast 20 g coriander seeds in a dry pan for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, then crush them coarsely with 5 g black peppercorns; mix with 10 g coarse salt and 10 g brown sugar.
- Toss the strips in half of 70 ml brown grape vinegar, drain, then rub the spice mix firmly into every surface.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, then pour off the liquid that has formed and dip the strips briefly in the remaining vinegar.
- Hang the strips on hooks so they do not touch, in a biltong box or a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
- Leave to dry for 4 to 7 days depending on thickness and taste: slightly soft in the centre for moist biltong, firm throughout for dry biltong. This slow drying cannot be rushed.
- Slice thinly across the grain to serve.
What is Biltong?
Biltong is a traditional dish from Namibia, and takes about 5 days and 12 hours from start to finish. It is built around beef silverside, brown vinegar and coarse salt. The recipe below uses 6 ingredients and is written out step by step.
How long does Biltong take?
At 7940 minutes it is slower than 100% of the 586 dishes in Copper's atlas. Copper's atlas has 2 dishes built on beef silverside. The method runs to 7 steps, the longest being 3 minutes.
Any tips for making Biltong?
Hang the strips so they never touch, in a cool, dry, airy place, and let them dry 4 to 7 days: this slow drying cannot be rushed.
How Biltong compares
At 5 days and 12 hours, Biltong is among the 10 longest of the 586 dishes Copper documents. Hard to find elsewhere: brown vinegar (1) and beef silverside (2).
Copper documents Namibia alongside 197 other countries. Every recipe is free to read, with the full ingredient list and every step.