Biltong (Jerky)

Ingredients

• •Venison, Beef or Ostrich meat, cuts such as rump, sirloin, silverside and topside
• •3 pounds salt
• •7 ounces golden brown sugar
• •4 tablespoons bicarbonate
• •2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• •3 1/2 ounces coarsely ground coriander seed
• •20 ounces vinegar

Directions

1. 1Using a sharp knife, cut along the natural dividing lines of the muscles down legs of animals.
2. 2Cut pieces into 50 millimeter to 70 millimeter thick strips, with some fat on each strip.
3. 3Do not cut meat strips more than 20 millimeters thick if weather is not really cool.
4. 4Combine brown sugar, bicarbonate, black pepper and coriander.
5. 5Rub mixture into strips of meat.
6. 6Layer meat, larger pieces at the bottom, in plastic; wooden; earthenware; or enamel container (not metal).
7. 7Sprinkle a little vinegar over each layer.
8. 8Leave in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how thick the meat is and how salty you want the biltong to be.
9. 9Dip meat pieces into a mixture of 18 fluent ounces of vinegar to 5 quarts)of warm water--this makes it shiny and dark.
10. 10Pat dry, hang on hooks 50 centimeters apart so that the air can circulate freely. Leave 2 to 3 weeks to dry (or make instant biltong with a hydrator).
11. 11Biltong should be dried in a cool dry place, protected from flies and dust. In humid areas biltong should be dried in a drying chamber.
12. 12Biltong freezes very well as it is a dehydrated product. To defrost biltong, place in an open dish overnight in the fridge. Next day, leave out of the fridge 1 hour before serving.
13. 13The less fat the biltong has the better the keeping quality. To store dry biltong, wrap each piece individually in muslin. Store in a cool dry well ventilated place.