Wanted: 2012’s best biltong maker

By Johané Neilson

Have you ever made your own biltong? It’s said that the art of making biltong is as specialised as that of winemaking – so if you think you’re a master in the making, enter the annual Stellenbosch Hills Biltong Maker of the Year competition. You could win R60 000 in prizes (see below)! I spent a morning at the Freddie Hirsch head office trying my hand at making biltong with a few other journalists.

Making the cut
Elize de Witt, Freddy Hirsch’s National Training Officer demonstrated how simple it is to section a large piece of meat for biltong. She makes it look so easy! If you still find it daunting, ask you butcher to help you.

• Biltong can be made from virtually any cut of venison. But note that the quality of the
meat directly influences the quality of your biltong.
• Grade A silverside beef is the best cut to use.
• Use freshly cut meat, and slice meat with a sharp knife. Cut with the grain in one motion – hacking can lead to spoiling during the drying process.
• Thicker strips will take longer to dry and increases the risk of spoiling.

We got to take a parcel of biltong home to hang. Elize uses Hunters Biltong mix from Freddie Hirsh – it’s delicious! If you want to make your own spice mix, you can still follow her guidelines. This is what mine looked like before hanging.

Elize’s Biltong recipe

1. For every 1kg meat use 45g spice (We used Hunters with a little extra dried coriander)
2. Place the meat in a clear plastic bag instead of a bowl – no mess, no fuss and you can massage the marinade into your biltong.
3. Add about 10ml vinegar (wine or lemon juice also work) – not too much as the acid can overpower the biltong taste.
4. Add about 30-50ml Worcestersous
5. Give the meat a good massage and refrigerate overnght to rest.
6. The meat is ready to hang the next day. It will take about 3 days to dry in a small biltong maker.