Never heard of Biltong before,
I googled it..
Biltong is a kind of cured meat that originated in South Africa. Many different types of meat are used to produce 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").[1]
[edit] Origins
The Dutch settlers who arrived in South Africa in the 17th century brought recipes for dried meat from Europe.[citation needed] Preparation involved applying vinegar, then rubbing the strips of meat with a mix of herbs, salts and spices. The need for preservation in the new colony was pressing. Building up herds of livestock took a long time. There was native game about but it could take hunters days to track and kill a large animal such as an eland and they were then faced with the problem of preserving a large mass of meat in a short time in a hot climate during a period of history before iceboxes had been invented. Desiccation solved the problem.[citation needed] Biltong as we understand it today evolved from the dried meat carried by the wagon-travelling Voortrekkers, who needed stocks of durable food as they migrated from the Cape Colony (Cape Town) north-eastward (away from British rule) into the interior of Southern Africa during the Great Trek.[citation needed] The raw meat was preserved from decay and insects within a day or two, and within a fortnight, would be black and rock-hard after it had fully cured.
[edit] Ingredients
The most common ingredients of biltong are:[2][3]
Vinegar
Salt
Coriander
Black pepper
Sugar or Brown sugar
Other ingredients often added include: balsamic vinegar or malt vinegar, dry ground chili peppers, garlic, bicarbonate of soda, Worcestershire sauce,[4] onion powder, and saltpetre.
[edit] Meat
Prior to the introduction of refrigeration, the curing process was used by pioneers to preserve all kinds of meat in South Africa. However today biltong is most commonly made from beef, primarily due to its widespread availability and lower cost relative to game. For finest cuts, sirloin is used or steaks cut from the hip such as topside or silverside. Other cuts can be used, but are not as high in quality.
Biltong can also be made from:
Game such as kudu and springbok
Ostrich meat (bright red, often resembling game)[5]
Chicken, simply referred to as 'chicken biltong'[5]
Fish in this case, known as bokkoms (shark biltong can also be found in South Africa.[6][7])
Bokkoms should not be confused with other cured fish such as dried angelfish and dried snoek (snook).
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