Biltong is a kind of cured meat that originated in South Africa. Many different types of meat can be used to make it, ranging from beef through game meats to fillets of ostrich from commercial farms. It is typically made from raw fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is similar to beef jerky in that they are both spiced, dried meats, but differ in their typical ingredients, taste and production process. The word biltong is from the Dutch bil ("rump") and tong ("strip" or "tongue").
I made a fresh batch on Monday night, and check in already, everything is hydrating nicely and the seasoning seems to have adhered to the surface perfectly! I can't wait to sink my teeth into a piece.
Ingredients 270 g self-raising flour 5 ml baking powder 5 ml mild mustard powder 1 ml cayenne pepper 1 ml dried thyme 250 g biltong, grated or finely chopped 125 g cold butter, cut into cubes Topping: 200 ml biltong, grated or finely chopped 30 ml freshly chopped chives 50 ml mature Cheddar cheese, grated 30 ml Parmesan cheese, grated 30 ml blue cheese, crumbled 1 large egg
Method:
Sift flour, baking powder and mustard powder into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the cayenne pepper, thyme and biltong.
Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Gradually stir in enough cold water to make a stiff dough.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is approximately 2.5 cm thick and transfer to a 36 x 26 x 5 cm baking tin.
Mix together all the ingredients except the egg and set aside.
Whisk the egg with a little water and brush the dough.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the prepared dough.
Bake in a preheatd 220 °C oven for 15 minutes, then allow to cool>
My wonderful man built this fantastic large biltong making box for me so I can make larger batches! If you're interested in buying a box shoot me an email: SDbiltong@gmail.com