Most people don’t make their own biltong or droewors. Those who do tend to protect their secrets fiercely, and make it seem like an endeavour that requires sleepless nights of marinading, travel to Egypt for the best coriander, and magic massaging techniques to transform sloppy raw meat into a South African delicacy.
The thing is, it’s not true, and we can prove it.
Freddy Hirsch and Stellenbosch Hills have been holding an annual biltong competition for the last five years, looking for talented biltong-makers to come up with a recipe which complements their wine of the year. This recipe, known as “Craffies se Biltong,” won first place last year. That means that its creator, Frik Crafford, won a hefty cash prize as well as all the Freddy Hirsch equipment he could need to continue creating the tastiest biltong around. (This year’s competition is for droëwors. Reckon you’ve got what it takes? Click here to find out more about Freddy Hirsch & Stellenbosch Hills Droewors-Maker of the Year 2013.)
Yes, coming up with the recipe in the first place takes some creativity and experience. But luckily, a lack of either (or both) can’t stand in the way of you enjoying some tasty biltong. It’s not nearly as difficult as you’d think, and in about a week you’ll have more succulent, perfect biltong than you know what to do with. (Speaking of which, this recipe does call for a lot of meat. Feel free to scale everything back if it’s a bit daunting, but remember that the meat will shrink significantly as it dries.)
INGREDIENTS:
200g Freddy Hirsch Biltong spice
40g Freddy Hirsch plain biltong spice
80g sugar
40 g Freddy Hirsch whole coriander
650ml brown vinegar
100ml Worcester sauce
8-10 kg silverside beef
METHOD:
- Mix vinegar and Worcester sauce.
- Cut silverside into 1.5-2cm pieces.
- Place vinegar mixture in a plastic container and cover with a layer of spices
- Cover thin sides of meat also with spices.
- Place pieces of meat in a bowl.
- Pour over vinegar mixture and a layer of spices.
- Repeat this process until all the pieces of meat is covered
- Cover and let it stand for 24 hours
- Hang biltong pieces in biltong maker to dry.
Depending on temperature and ventilation, biltong should be ready within 5-9 days.
