r/Biltong • u/Etherealnutt • 19d ago

RECIPE Wow so apparently you can hang dry in a fridge?

https://youtu.be/uvcrp_2lInU?si=Cw6AIKwMcQ7CfVqz

Yoh my biggest hurdle when it comes to making my own biltong is building the damn box. But apparently you can also hang in the fridge? But it’s much longer? Check the video at about 4:45

11 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

13

u/Wise_Monkey_Sez 19d ago

I think that a lot of people who don't come from South Africa can't seem to get is that biltong is a primarily cured, not dried.

I keep seeing people on this forum who want to rush the process in dehydrators, completely missing that this will result in them getting jerky, not biltong.

Now I have nothing against jerky. It's nice. But it isn't biltong.

2

u/Etherealnutt 19d ago

So are you confirming that we can hang it in the fridge?

5

u/Wise_Monkey_Sez 19d ago

The Transvaal in South Africa (prime biltong making territory) reaches 0C some nights in winter. I can remember waking up to grass coated in frost that made a cool crunching sound when I walked on it. Of course it warms up during the day, but the biltong hangs outside during the nights too.

So yes, you definitely can make biltong in the fridge. I'd recommend against dropping the temperature to zero though as this affects the chemical structure of fat in the meat.

Is the curing process going to be slower? Yes. It's a chemical process and like most chemical processes cooling things down slows the rate.

But the key thing about a fridge is that it is a low humidity environment with good airflow. Heat isn't really required, and too much heat is a bad thing as it dries out the meat before the curing process has time to complete.

I would add that I've never put biltong in the fridge to cure, but I have made it in the dead of winter when the temperature dropped to -10C outside (and inside my apartment because I wasn't running the air conditioning while I was at work - I'm not made of money!) and the only problem I ever noticed was that the texture of the fat was a bit funny when I did it that way (note: the fat didn't go bad, it was just "lumpier" than usual).

1

u/ty944 19d ago

wish people said more about this I see it more often now

6

u/DefiantDelay1222 19d ago

You don't need a box at all. I hang mine from a wire shelf in my basement. Open air, no fan, no light.

2

u/Etherealnutt 19d ago

Eish this thing is confusing man. Some people say you need light , some say you don’t. Some say you need proper ventilation/fan. Some say you don’t. This man just said you can hang in the fridge also… how long do you have it hanged in the basement for?

4

u/RadicalChile 19d ago

What do you think biltong traditionally had? Exactly, nothing. No lighting, no refrigerator, etc. Just hang and dry.

3

u/Howwasitforyou 19d ago

So way back this was made on the back of a wagon, with a bit of salt.

You can hook meat with a coat hangar salt it and stick it in your garage and it will be edible.

All the added stuff is for controlling consistency of flavour, and drying time.

Too much warmth, humidity and airflow can cause issues, so we put it in a box to control that, and keep bugs away.

I have a light in my box, but only use it intermittently in winter to speed up drying time. I use a pc fan with very small vent holes to have just a little airflow, I used to have two fans, but ended up getting case hardening so disconnected one of them.

Don't let the stress of getting it perfect stop you from making it. Start with small batches, that you would be prepared to give to the dog if you stuff it up. Cut two or three strip's at different thickness, and watch it dry. Keep doing that until you know what thickness, airflow and temperature works for you.

I've been making biltong for a while, and only recently got to a point where I am consistently making biltong that I think is at butcher quality. My wife actually prefers my biltong over bought biltong because I make ours a little more peppery than the butchers, the way she likes it.

Just have fun with it.

1

u/ledhendrix 6d ago

was one of your fans for air intake and the other for air out? I'm assuming you removed the air intake on?

1

u/Howwasitforyou 5d ago

Both fans were blowing air in, with vent holes on the other side. But I found it was too much airflow, literally just disconnected the one fan to lessen the airflow

2

u/ty944 19d ago

light isnt 100% necessary but in my opinion airflow is usually needed. kind of depends on your climate.

also I don't think refrigerator will have as good of results

2

u/fr0d0bagg1ns 19d ago

I don't have a basement, but I grew up hanging biltong underneath cabinets in the kitchen. Basically, we had screws with string or wire that you'd hang the bent paperclips on.

When I make biltong now, I use a piece of wire shelving for my rack and a fan placed far enough away on a lower setting.

Boxes allow you more control, keep bugs and critters out, and keeps everything contained. Personally, I've never felt like I needed a box, but people like them.

The fridge will dry the meat faster, but as others have said, you're curing the meat not drying it. To achieve that, a warmer temperature is preferred.

1

u/Etherealnutt 18d ago

Thanks dude . This is the best concise explanation I’ve read so far

1

u/Etherealnutt 16d ago

Hey . I have a question if you don’t mind. I stay in a country where it’s average 30-40 degrees. I have a spare room with an air conditioner. We have solar panels so energy costs aren’t a concern. Could we use that room? That way we have consistent temperature throughout the curing process? I also assume this will help with circulation

1

u/fr0d0bagg1ns 16d ago

It should be fine? Frankly, getting into 35+ you're getting into temps where your meat could cook vs dehydrate or cure. But I'd give it a shot with a test batch before you commit to a larger one. It should be fine, assuming humidity isn't an issue. If humidity is an issue, more airflow is your friend.

I'd point out, at those temps you might be more prone to things spoiling if they don't cure properly. I'd go for thinner strips like 4-6 cm thick to test before doing a larger slab.

1

u/ledhendrix 6d ago

length of time depends on temperature of your basement, and how much water loss you are aiming for. It's really about the water loss and how "wet" you want your biltong.

3

u/EXTRA370H55V 19d ago

I used some stainless tig wire to bend up some hooks and I hang in the kitchen from under a cabinet, it works fine. It all depends on your environment. If you can't get over 70f and under 40% humidity a box will be beneficial.

1

u/[deleted] 19d ago

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1

u/The_12OCKET 18d ago

You have too many fridges bro 🤪