Biltong (Dried Meat for Long Journeys)
Strips of beef marinated in vinegar and spices, then air-dried until firm and concentrated. Salty, slightly tangy, deeply savory: a protein bomb that keeps for weeks and travels in any bag.
Strips of beef marinated in vinegar and spices, then air-dried until firm and concentrated. Salty, slightly tangy, deeply savory: a protein bomb that keeps for weeks and travels in any bag.
When you go run at the other end of the world, you never know what food you'll find there — so I always pack a bit of biltong in my bag. You cut a piece, chew it slowly before warm-up, and you have a taste of home in your mouth. My people have been drying meat like this for generations, from the time when you had to cross the veld without a fridge. It's tough, it's nourishing, and it never lets you down.
- •Beef or game meat in strips — according to the hunt (base)
- •Salt — generously (curing and preservation)
- •Vinegar — a good splash (marinade and preservation)
- •Toasted coriander seeds, pepper — crushed (spices)
Biltong (Dried Meat for Long Journeys)
Strips of beef marinated in vinegar and spices, then air-dried until firm and concentrated. Salty, slightly tangy, deeply savory: a protein bomb that keeps for weeks and travels in any bag.
Why this dish? When your career takes you from one athletics meeting to another — Berlin, London, Rio — you need a protein that fits in your bag and can be snacked anywhere. Biltong, the national dried meat, is the pocket snack of South Africans on the move: exactly the kind of dense snack an athlete takes to competition.
When you go run at the other end of the world, you never know what food you'll find there — so I always pack a bit of biltong in my bag. You cut a piece, chew it slowly before warm-up, and you have a taste of home in your mouth. My people have been drying meat like this for generations, from the time when you had to cross the veld without a fridge. It's tough, it's nourishing, and it never lets you down.
Ingredients (period version)
- Beef or game meat in strips — according to the hunt (base)
- Salt — generously (curing and preservation)
- Vinegar — a good splash (marinade and preservation)
- Toasted coriander seeds, pepper — crushed (spices)
Ingredients
- Beef rump or silverside — 1 kg, cut into 2 cm strips (base)
- Coarse salt — 60 g (curing)
- Wine vinegar (or cider vinegar) — 100 ml (marinade)
- Toasted and crushed coriander seeds — 2 tbsp (signature spice)
- Coarsely ground black pepper — 1 tbsp (spice)
- Brown sugar — 1 tsp (balance)
Method
- Rub the beef strips with salt and let drain for 1 hour, then rinse quickly.
- Sprinkle with vinegar and roll the strips in the coriander-pepper-sugar mixture.
- Marinate 4-6 hours in the fridge.
- Hang the strips in a dry, well-ventilated place protected from insects (or in a dehydrator / oven ajar at 50°C).
- Dry for 3-5 days (or 6-8 hours in a dehydrator) depending on desired texture: tender inside or fully dry.
- Slice thinly and snack; store in a cloth or jar.
How it was made : The technique of drying meat spiced with vinegar and coriander, inherited from the traveling peoples of Southern Africa and codified by settlers, allowed game killed during long veld crossings to be preserved without refined salt or refrigeration.
The contemporary twist : Cut into fine shavings, biltong can be sprinkled over a salad or served as a luxury charcuterie appetizer.
Caster Semenya · Charactorium
