Dry cured elk Biltong, inspired by the traditional South African charcuterie. Think of it like slabs of jerky that are cut to order. Like jerky, it's a great, high protein snack.
1000grams (2.2 pounds) Elk or venison preferably the top round or bottom round. *see note
½teaspooninstacure no 2
20grams kosher salt roughly 4 teaspoons
2teaspoonsblack peppercorns
2Tablespoons coriander seed
4Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Toast the black pepper and coriander, then grind coarsely in a spice grinder. In a separate bowl, mix together the salt and instacure.
Trim the meat of all sinew and connective tissue, then cut into 1 inch thick slices. Mix the meat with the salt seasonings, then vacuum seal for 2 days.
Remove the meat from the bag and lay the slices on a cutting board. Soak a towel in apple cider vinegar and blot each slice of meat on both sides, then transfer to an UMAi Dry bag (I like to use the ribeye-striploin bags for this) seal using the vac mouse strip (refer to their instructions here if you’re unfamiliar) and refrigerate for 14 days, or until the meat no longer feels “springy” to the touch.
If you really want to go the extra mile, vacuum seal the meat again, in a regular vacuum bag, and refrigerate for 24 hours to refresh the texture.
From here, you can pull out pieces of biltong as you like. To serve, slice the biltong into thin slices using a sharp knife and eat as you would jerky. I like to keep the chunks of meat whole until I’m ready to slice and serve them.
Video
Notes
Types of meat to use I use elk here, but other venison will work fine. As a second choice I'd use grass fed beef, but you can also just use your favorite beef you have access to.