Ultimate South African Biltong Recipe

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1. 1Step 1: Cut the meat into 3cm or 1.1-inch strips along the grain of the meat. Trim off silver skin, connective tissue or any unwanted fat but leave the fat on for moisture and flavour.
2. 2Step 2: Sprinkle the salt all over the meat including the sides.
3. 3Step 3: Let it sit for 3 hours in the salt flipping a few times to ensure even salting.
4. 4Step 4: While the meat is salting mix together all the wet cure ingredients.
5. 5Step 5: Once the meat has salted for 3 hours, rub off the salt but don't wash it.
6. 6Step 6: Place the meat and the cure in a fitting non-reactive food-safe plastic or ceramic container.
7. 7Step 7: Let it marinate for 2 hours turning the meat a few times to ensure even marination.
8. 8Step 8: While the meat is marinating, toast the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and chilli flakes in a dry pan on medium heat. Do this in a well-ventilated kitchen.
9. 9Step 9: As soon as the spices are nicely toasted, slightly smoky and fragrant, remove them from the pan and let them cool down completely.
10. 10Step 10: Once cooled, blitz the spices in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar until nicely broken up but not too fine. You want to be able to identify the different spices.
11. 11Step 11: Optionally add baking soda to the meat along with the marinade and give it a good mix.
12. 12Step 12: It will froth as the acid reacts with the soda.
13. 13Step 13: As soon as the froth has settled, remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel. Throw the marinade out or use it to marinade other meats. Just remember the acid has been slightly neutralised in the mix so you need to add more vinegar if you want to make another batch of biltong.
14. 14Step 14: Cover the meat completely in spices making sure to get it into every nook and cranny.
15. 15Step 15: Put a small meat hook or paperclip through the meat with a label attached to it.
16. 16Step 16: Weigh the meat and write it on the label. This is so that you can track the moisture loss and know when the meat is ready. Aim for 50% weight loss. This should take around a week but start monitoring it after 4 days.
17. 17Step 17: Hang the meat in a well-ventilated, dry-air, warm environment (close to 30°C or 86°F) protected from insects and animals.
18. 18Step 18: Once the meat is ready remove the hooks. It's now ready to slice thinly with a sharp knife.
19. 19Step 19: Store wrapped airtight or in vacuum bags in the fridge or freeze for longer storage.