Step 4.) Transfer your beef slices (or slabs) to a bowl / dish and combine with spices and vinegar. I prefer freshly toasted coriander seed (biltong staple known for antimicrobial properties that help inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold), red chili powder, brown sugar, and obviously a good bit of salt. *This about 1.2lbs of beef and I used roughly 4tbls of vinegar, 2.5tbls of salt, 2-2.5tbls of red chili powder, 1.5tbls of coriander, 1tbls brown sugar. Nothing needs to be perfect here, just cater to your preferences.

OK. I’ll let you off this time.

Step 6.) Wait. This is typically anywhere from 18-72 hrs depending on how thick the beef is cut and your preference on the “wetness” of the biltong. The reason I like cutting into the strips is because usually by the next day I have a finished product. If you do the large slabs, it’s usually minimum 48-72 hours. Can be even longer if you cut it really thick. My gf (from SA) would pull the beef out immediately if she could, but I like it a bit more dry because I think it gives the spices more time to penetrate into the beef. More time = more flavor, but too much time = too dry. You want some “wetness” as this lends itself to a more tender piece of biltong. If you made it this far, thank you for reading and I hope this inspires you to make some biltong of your own. It’s really quite simple and makes for delicious snack that keeps for quite a while (the original reason it was invented). Although, you would be surprised how fast you can go through a few pounds (pre drying) of biltong. It’s quite addicting.