Biltong (Dried Meat)

Heading to the vast expanses of Namibia to discover Biltong, much more than just dried meat, it's a true cultural institution. We'd just returned from three weeks in this fabulous country (see here ) and I wanted to rediscover the taste of this dried meat. Unlike industrially produced biltong, the Namibian version stands out for the exceptional quality of its meat, often from free-range beef or local game such as oryx or kudu. Naturally gluten-free, this snack is prepared using an age-old method: the meat is marinated in a mixture of vinegar and roasted spices before being air-dried. The result? A tender texture, a woody flavor, and a high protein content that make it the perfect choice for athletes and food lovers alike. I must admit that the taste of my biltong was a little different from the one we had there, but it was still quite good.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Rest time: 12 hours

Total time 12 hrs 10 mins

Cooking method: Ninja Foodi

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 10

Special diet: naturally gluten-free

Ingredients

500g of beef or game
65 ml of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp of sugar

Preparation

1
Cut the meat into long, thick slices of about 2 cm.
2
In a bowl, mix the vinegar, salt, pepper, coriander and sugar.
3
Rub the meat generously with this mixture and let it marinate for 3 to 4 hours.
4
Dehydrate in a Ninja Foodi (or other dehydrator) for 8 hours.
5
(The traditional recipe involves hanging the pieces of meat in a well-ventilated place to let them dry, which can take from 4 to 7 days, depending on the humidity).
6
Once dried, the biltong is ready to be enjoyed.