How To Know When Biltong Is Dry Enough

snackonmeat

•

kangaroo biltong

Making your own biltong allows for personal taste and individual preferences; this can be in the marinades and spices as well as in how wet or dry you like the final product. So how do you know when it’s dry enough to be just the way you like it?

Biltong will take as little as three days to be safe for consumption and up to seven days, depending on how dry you like it. The rate at which your biltong dries is dependent on a few factors. These consist of relative humidity, heat, and airflow. If your biltong box has more heat and a stronger pulling fan, it will dry much quicker than by, say, natural air drying.

There is also the factor of how thick you cut your meat; the general rule is to cut no thicker than 3 cm (or the thickness of your hand). A thicker cut requires more drying time, so depending on how you like your biltong, you might choose a thicker cut for a “wetter” biltong. Likewise, a thinner, more lean piece (minimum of 1 cm) will take less time and produce a dryer biltong.

With each batch of biltong you make, you will discover your very personal tastes and preferences; this is a fun process but a little daunting at first. So to begin with, it’s worth learning more about the results you’ll experience with different lengths of drying time. (I also wrote an article about ways to air dry if you’d like more information).

How To Know When Biltong Is Ready

If it’s your first time making biltong or you are in the trial-and-error phase, you’ll be eager to learn when it is ready to eat. Being “ready” is a very individual preference, so once the biltong is safe for consumption, it takes about 2 days minimum. It’s time to start taste-testing your biltong! Your biltong will be ready as soon as 3 days and up to 7 days (sometimes more if you want completely dry biltong).

Note: Cut the biltong no less than 1cm and no more than 3cm thick and test it after 3 days of drying. It’s also very important to cut the meat with a uniform thickness. You don’t want some parts drying quickly and other parts staying rare. Keep your meat even and with the grain.

Start Testing Day 3

Wash your hands thoroughly, and dry them well, before taking out one piece of meat for testing. Squeeze the meat to get a feel for the different levels of dryness.

You will now need a sharp knife and a chopping board. Next slice the meat straight through, toward the end of the entire piece. Have a look at the centre. If it is pink with a lot of give as you squeeze, you have wet biltong. Have a taste test and see what you think. If the biltong is much too rare for your taste, dab the end of the cut piece with salt and rehang it.

Biltong testing at day 3 / 50% weight loss

Testing Day 4

Repeat the method used on day 3. Your biltong will be dryer and is considered “wet to medium” at this stage. You might really like the biltong at this point, but it’s good to continue the test for another day or so.

Another important note is to check your biltong regularly throughout the drying process. You want to ensure no mould is growing. If a small amount appears, you can gently wipe it away with a cloth wet with vinegar. Then check that you have enough airflow around the meat and see if any pieces are touching.

Testing Day 5

Day 5, your biltong is heading toward the “medium to dry” stage. Many people enjoy their biltong at this point. If you are satisfied, remove all your biltong from the drying area and finely slice. You and your friends can now dig in (if you want to share).

You might like to keep testing for up to 7 days, depending on your conditions for drying and if you left a lot of fat on, your meat might take this long.

The Most Precise Way To Know

The most precise method to determine if biltong is dry enough (depending on your preference, of course) is to measure weight loss. Biltong loses weight as it dries, caused by the removal of moisture. Starting with the original weight, you will look for 40-50% weight loss for “wet biltong” and 60-70% weight loss for “dry biltong”. Use the original weight of the meat, then weigh again on day 2, and successively each day from there until you reach your desired percentage.

This is the most precise technique for measuring dryness. If you are someone, like myself, who wants the same results each time, measuring weight loss is an effective method. Some people are so particular they go into the decimal point range, such as “77.5% weight loss.” Results can be as nuanced as you like.

Meat weight scale available on Amazon

The Squeeze Test

As you become more practised in making biltong, it will become easier to measure the dryness or readiness purely by instinct. Many people who have made biltong for a while know their biltong is ready, just by the look and feel. The most common technique is to squeeze the biltong gently between your thumb and finger. This technique allows you to judge wetness or dryness based on the amount of give in the meat. You will learn just the right feel for your preferred final biltong product.

Related Posts:

Leave a Comment