A new heat-treated, biltong-inspired home version. This uses coriander and vinegar flavours with a cooked-before-drying method; it does not reproduce traditional raw air-cured biltong or claim to validate the earlier hanging method in the photographs.
New cookbook version · Makes about 400–500 g
Written to complete the family collection. This is a new version, not a recovered record of the original cook.
Ingredients
- 1 kg very lean beef topside, all visible fat trimmed
- 60 ml malt or cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 15 g salt
- 1 tbsp toasted coriander seeds, coarsely crushed
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Method
- Partially freeze beef just until firm, then slice into strips no thicker than 5–6 mm.
- Mix vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, coriander, pepper and sugar. Coat beef and refrigerate in a covered container for 8–12 hours.
- Put beef and marinade in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and heat until the meat reaches at least 71.1°C throughout, checking with a food thermometer. This heating step happens before drying.
- Drain and arrange in one layer on clean dehydrator trays. Dry in a temperature-controlled dehydrator at 60°C until thoroughly dry and leathery, usually 4–8 hours depending on thickness and equipment. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and check pieces regularly.
- Cool, package in small airtight portions and refrigerate. This home recipe has not been tested for shelf stability; freeze portions for longer storage.
Kitchen notes
The heat step follows USDA home-jerky guidance. The result is a biltong-flavoured jerky texture, not traditional air-cured biltong.
Method reference: USDA guidance for safely making jerky at home.
From preparation to the table
Original photographs from our family cooking. Where the recipe is labelled as a new version, these earlier photographs record the meal and may show variations rather than every exact ingredient or step above.
