Biltong in one sentence
Biltong is beef that’s been cured in vinegar and spices, then air-dried slowly until it’s firm on the outside and tender inside. It isn’t cooked, smoked or baked. Time, salt, vinegar and moving air do the work.
The name comes from Dutch: “bil” (rump) and “tong” (strip). It describes the long strips of meat that Southern African settlers hung to dry in the 1600s and 1700s, a way to keep meat through long treks with no refrigeration.
How biltong is made
Every family and every butcher has their own recipe, but the method is broadly the same:
- Cut. Lean beef, usually silverside or topside, is cut with the grain into thick strips.
- Cure. The strips are soaked or brushed with vinegar, then coated in coarse salt, cracked black pepper and roasted coriander seed.
- Dry. The meat hangs in dry, moving air for several days. How long decides whether it ends up “wet” (soft and pink in the middle) or “dry” (firm and crumbly).
- Slice. It’s eaten as a whole piece, sliced thin across the grain, or cut into sticks.
What does it taste like?
Savoury, salty and meaty, with the warm, citrusy note of coriander and a little tang from the vinegar. Good biltong isn’t sweet. That’s the first thing people notice if they grew up on jerky.
Our Original is the recipe Jan De Beer perfected in Brits, South Africa in 1970, and it hasn’t changed since. If you want more kick, try Peri-Peri, Chipotle or BBQ.
Wet, dry, sliced or whole?
Whole biltong is the traditional way to buy it. You slice it yourself and choose the thickness. A whole biltong also keeps a little longer than sliced.
Sliced biltong is ready to eat straight from the bag. Biltong sticks (also called “stokkies”) are thin, drier sticks that are easy to snack on. And droëwors is biltong’s cousin: a dried sausage. Read about droëwors.
Where to buy biltong in Australia
De Beer Meat Co has made biltong in Brisbane since 2003. Everything we sell comes from our own factory in Rocklea, Queensland, and we deliver Australia-wide. Brisbane locals can choose click & collect at checkout.
