What is Biltong? Namibian Biltong

The mouths of so many Namibians water just at the thought of well-seasoned dried meat which is commonly known as Biltong.

Biltong is a Southern African staple that’s air-dried, thinly sliced cured piece of meat and marinated lean made from game meat (e.g. Ostrich or Kudu) and beef meat.

This is a must-taste for those who enjoy something meaty. Biltong comes in different styles such as chili bites, droewors (dried sausage), chutney bites, plain-snapstix, BBQ crips, and chili-snapstix…. the list is endless.

This snack is also a big cure when you are homesick. Eating biltong just brings you close to home. It is one of the things that is part of your identity as a Namibian. This is by far the one food I love the most.

The word Biltong broken down: 

Bil: the Dutch word for rump or buttock (e.g Get off your bil and get me water)

Tong: the word for tongue (e.g This biltong is so spicy my tong is on fire)

How to make Biltong? 

Biltong is made by marinating, spicing, and air-drying strips of meat. Be that as it may, the precise process and formula vary according to individual taste and ingredients accessible.

Step 1 – Choose the Meat

Biltong is mainly made from game or beef meat. Choose one of these.

Step 2 – Cut the Meat  

You should cut the meat into long, thin strips. You can leave a layer of fat on the edge of the strips, which produces the tasty and chewier fatty biltong.

Step 3 – Season the Meat 

You can start by marinating the meat or just rinse the meat with vinegar to kill off potentially harmful bacteria. Afterward, you can spice the meat with salt and any of your preferred spices.

Step 4 – Air-dry the Meat 

Once you are done seasoning the meat, hang it up in a cool dry place to air-dry. This can take from 4 to 10 days, depending on how moist you would like the biltong to be.

Step 5 – Store the Biltong

You should store the biltong in a paper bag in the fridge