Biltong - maybe not so traditional

[PZ]

Well, the price of beef fell to a reasonable level so biltong is now under way

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Ingredients ready: beef, salt and pepper, coriander, and Worcestershire

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Layering the meat cut about 1 cm thick with spices between each layer

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Once all the meat is in the dish, it is pressed down to keep all pieces in close contact with the spices

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[Art Blade]

I assume, reading through that label, that you bought those chunks of meat frozen? Interesting that you have variations in price (price drop), is that due to that meat being almost past the "sell by" date?

[PZ]

No, in the fresh meat area, and not close to the sell-by date. The grocery store I prefer to visit often has meats on sale, and one only needs to wait for a while until the cut you prefer comes on sale. I'll typically purchase any cuts I like to vacuum seal at home for when I want to use it. (I use 4 different freezers/fridges  )

For example, I love to use tri-tip for grinding my burger meat, and it is often $8/lb, but when Winco has it on sale, I can get trimmed tip-tip for less than $3 - I stock up then. 

[nex]

looks good PZ 
After refrigerated for 24h, cut a small piece off (like the tip), fry it just like that in a pan
then taste it. That will be very close to what it eventually will taste like.
If not spicy enough, you can add a bit more spice and leave it refrigerated for another 24h.

Best of luck mate, and keep us posted 

[PZ]

Thanks for the tip nex! 

I'll be sure to post the results - going into the dehydrator today if the fry test tastes good

[Art Blade]

good luck

Oh, and no more than two bottles of red wine with that fry test. No matter the outcome of that fry test.

[PZ]

  thanks, AB

Beef is now in the dehydrator for a few hours now - the fry piece tasted good - like nothing I have tasted before because of the vinegar and coriander.

My wife said it smells really good in the house right now.

EDIT: I just went to eat the last piece of the fry test and it is gone!

[nex]

How big was the ahem.... taste piece again? 
I said, "the tip", not the whole frickin piece of meat   

[PZ]

 

Only a small piece, one of the trimmings 

I can't wait to taste the finished product - I've checked it periodically and it is starting to look like really thick beef jerky. Hard to resist cutting another test piece.

[nex]

I know exactly what you mean, my dad always had his biltong strung up in the garage,
every day arriving home after w0#k he goes straight to the garage pocket knife in hand
and cuts the tip of one of the pieces of biltong off for "tasting"

[PZ]

I love it!

I have to admit that there are a couple of small pieces that are drying faster than the rest, and they will be the first to be tasted 

[Art Blade]

"the biltong? Oh, the biltong. Well, uhm, I still don't know what the finished product would have tasted like because the whole batch was eaten during the tasting process."

[nex]

enjoy, I have some sliced biltong packed away in the freezer,
I'm on my way there now, bye..............

[Art Blade]

in case you don't know the meaning of "getting really hungry," just read random topics like this one before lunch or dinner.

And I need something to eat RIGHT NOW.

[PZ]