Biltong in 3-4 days using a regular dehydrator

[PZ]

This time I've cut the biltong steaks to about 1 inch in thickness, and have dried them to 50% of their original weight for that perfect prosciutto silky texture. This experiment was very successful and drying the steaks on their sides rather than hanging was perfectly good as indicated by the final shots.

I started with a 5 lb top round roast, and a 5 lb petit sirloin roast. I'm using my good old dehydrator with separate temperature and time controls.

This differs from traditional biltong because I used horizontal drying rather than the traditional hanging method. I tried this because I already have too many gadgets. My plan was to go to 50% weight loss being the level of dryness I wanted. I like the center to be soft and silky, yet have the texture reminiscent of prosciutto. The method was fairly simple and foolproof.

• The roasts were sliced in to roughly 2 cm thick steaks
• The steaks were marinated in red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, pepper corns, coriander seeds, and red pepper flakes. The steaks were placed in a single layer in a vacuum seal bag and marinated in the fridge for about 36 hours. I massaged and turned the bags every few hours during the daylight hours (I need my sleep  )
• Into the dehydrator overnight at the lowest heat setting after which the heat was turned off and only the fan moved the ambient air through the enclosure.
• To ensure 50% weight loss, I weighed the steaks before starting and recorded those weights on a paper "map".  The steaks were periodically weighed and were taken out of the chamber when their weight was reduced by 50%.
• Slicing through samples revealed that this method resulted in perfection (for me - I like it softer).

The steaks were slightly different in thickness so they came out of the drying area at different times.

Slicing and sampling the biltong revealed a delicious herbal, spicy flavor and a perfect prosciutto texture to the center of the steak. The outside of each steak was darker in color but not dried and crisp - instead it was delightfully chewy, complementing the prosciutto-like silky interior.

I can say this this method works really well and I will continue to use it because the climate is almost perfectly controlled.

[Dweller_Benthos]

That looks pretty tasty for sure! Do you generally just eat it as is or put it in something or a sandwich?

[PZ]

I just slice it thin like prosciutto, or thicker when the mood strikes. It is so delicious by itself that I actually do not get the chance to eat it otherwise 

[flaco]

That looks really good