If anyone wants to give it a shot, here's how I do it, as taught to me by a good friend in South Africa:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeb...ltong_topic1857.html

What teperature is best for curing?

Ron,thanks for sharing that. I'm looking forward to giving it a try myself.

Hi, guys -

For the 24-hour cure with the spice etc; it should be refrigerated. After that, for the drying/air-cure, room temperature is fine; air-flow is important.

You don't want it completely dry, like jerky; instead, it should be dry outside and semi-dry inside.



Note: further down the thread, when I make mine, I used Morton's Tender Quick instead of Cure #1/salt. If you use TQ, no additional salt is needed, just use the amount of TQ as is called for salt. (4 teaspoons, in this recipe).

Typically beef biltong is served semi dry, game biltong is served very dry, where you can actually "tear" the strips - especially kudu and gemsbuck. Interresting to hear what elk and whitetail biltong tastes like

quote:

Originally posted by umzingele:
Typically beef biltong is served semi dry, game biltong is served very dry, where you can actually "tear" the strips - especially kudu and gemsbuck. Interresting to hear what elk and whitetail biltong tastes like

Great information - thanks!

The biltong I made was with mule deer; tasted great!

quote:

Originally posted by umzingele:
Typically beef biltong is served semi dry, game biltong is served very dry, where you can actually "tear" the strips - especially kudu and gemsbuck. Interresting to hear what elk and whitetail biltong tastes like

I have used a lot of elk and mule deer for biltong and it came out great.

I purchased comercial biltong in Zambia and it was dry as you describe.

In Namibia the farmer I hunted with would drop kudu and gemsbok off at the butcher and take partial payment in biltong. The wild game biltong the butcher made was frozen to keep it at the perfect simi-wet state. It was amazing.

Interestingly, I am now living in about 150 miles north of the Arctic circle and one of the favorite preparations for caribou is a dried version that is prepared similar to biltong except that they skip the spices/salt/vinegar and simply dry it as I have seen done in Zimbabwe. It is called banaktak in the local language(Inupiaq). Great stuff.

I notice that Sage is left out, much of the dry jerky I have eaten in RSI had sage added..I was raised on Mexican Jerky, pepper, red chili, salt, powder, Garlic, Cilantro, Vinegar,Cumin and ground Jalapeano, or chili Pequen..Cook it or dry it,its good either way. I like Jerky that fairly thick and slighty moist in the middle. I always have some made from my elk and deer..The Texas Hill country whitetail are so delectable, mild, no wild taste at all, the best of the deer..

In colder climes such as Alaska,to the north pole, smoking takes the place of jerky, and its just as good, some like it better...I like both.

Trible jerky in Africa is not my thing, those guys have some awful table habits, much like the inuit of the North, especially the fish! ..I make my own or buy Texas jerky, smoked or dryed.