How to Preserve Meat with no Refrigeration - Biltong 101

Comments · 2.1K

• MI

  @michaelleroux338 · 1 year ago · pinned

  Nice video Clay. Couple of points to assist (I am an Afrikaans South African and I make roughly 110lb of biltong every 2 months as that is my family’s go-to snack).<br><br>1: Eye of round is a suboptimal cut to use, not enough fat, and too dense. Inside and Outside Round are phenomenal as a cost effective option - if money is no object, go for Sirloin Cap.<br><br>2: As a survival food biltong is really great, however it does require a great deal of water to be consumed because your body generates a lot of energy breaking down that amount of protein. Furthermore, protein poisoning is a very real reality with protein insofar as eating too much and especially without fat (which is the main reason why store-bought Eye of round is a bad choice, it has very very little fat). Protein poisoning results in a runny stomach, not for long, just a couple of hours until your body has released the protein through two maybe three nature call events - but the issue is that you are being dehydrated when you have runs, so you best be careful unless water is abundant. You may also confuse the symptoms of protein poisoning with E.Coli because they are the same, but the latter does not go away after a few hours.<br><br>3: Vinegar lowers the pH of the meat which inhibits the growth of botulism.<br><br>4: Always air dry by ventilation (as you said) as it keeps fresh air moving and allows for much faster drying times. If you have to hang it outside, wrap it with a cheese cloth to prevent pest intrusion or use a mosquito net strategically placed to keep the bugs away.<br><br>5: You can very definitely vacuum seal biltong, I currently have a pack which is almost 2 years old just kept on a shelf (Mule Deer - amazing biltong). Alternatively you can wrap the pieces (individually) in tin foil to keep in the freezer (longest I ever have was a year).<br><br>6: Dry biltong is obviously much lighter and you will consume a lot less to get the same protein value by weight as wetter biltong. For that reason, dryer is better if you’re a hiker or the like but you must remember the water consideration. Pieces with fat will weigh a lot more than pieces without because the fat dries a lot slower than the red meat but the fat is essential to balance out the protein so keep that in mind.<br><br>7: I enjoy biltong the best when I have generated about 45% yield by weight, e.g., 2lb piece hung wet on day one dropping down to around 0.8lb by day 4-5.<br><br>8: Biltong, because it is not cooked or smoked, retains its protein value. Depending on the cut, you can expect a 60% protein value by weight. One ounce of biltong also provides your total daily requirement for iron on a 2000 cal diet. The point being, the lighter you go, the less you eat and the more water you must consume.<br><br>There are a few other intricacies as well but none as important as most of these points.<br><br>Have fun making it! It’s great! I do not know of a single person to ever get sick of biltong.

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• MI

  @Mitttor · 1 year ago

  &quot;All I have is an elk back strap.&quot; It must be nice.😅

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• JA

  @Jay_1776-f3u · 1 year ago

  As a South African American, this makes me very proud, my most memorable bonding moment with my father was when he took me huntin&apos; at 6 years old and thought me how to make biltong, a family recipe and 13 years of tradition

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• GU

  @guttagame1804 · 1 year ago

  This guy just taught me how to cut uniform steak with my cutting board <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=406S_u2Dte0&amp;t=179">2:59</a>

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• JA

  @JacoPietersen-k1l · 1 year ago

  You are doing this kind of right. &nbsp;But it doesn&apos;t need to be in the sun, just make a cabinet with a screen and put a fan on it. No problem ever. FYI, i am from South Africa, a hunter and love to make biltong.

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• CR

  @craigph86 · 1 year ago

  As a saffa, I would suggest a biltong drying cabinet because we get lots of flies here and it keeps the meat clean. I soak my silversides in vinegar and spice overnight before hanging to dry for a couple days, I prefer it wet and not too jerky like. Love your videos and information Clay.

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• TH

  @the_str4ng3r · 1 year ago

  Looks delicious! I especially lol&apos;d at the &quot;How to preserve meat with no refrigeration&quot; combined with &quot;Puts the meat in the fridge overnight&quot; part

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• AL

  @alaskahomesteading · 1 year ago

  Here is AK, the natives air dry salmon very successfully just hanging it up. I built a solar dehydrator out of scrap plywood and an old window pane... Mid summer I can make jerky in one day, and dry my own tomato&apos;s, peppers, onions, etc... This is good info.. glad I found your channel....👍

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• BL

  @bluesteelworx · 11 months ago (edited)

  I worked in South Africa back in the early 80&apos; and learned how to make biltong. To dry the meat and keep bugs off it they told me to get a large cardboard box , run strings across the upper section and hang the meat, vinegar dipped and seasoned just like you did, and put a small light like a night light or Christmas tree lightbulb in the bottom of the box. This would generate enough heat to quicken the drying. Let it sit for two weeks and check to see if it&apos;s dry enough. I did this many times in the garage. Oh yes, and keep a fan blowing across the box. Forgot the fan one time and discovered green and white fuzzy sticks when I went to check on them.

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• JO

  @johngallivan5448 · 2 months ago

  Title of video: &nbsp;no refrigeration. &nbsp;He uses refrigeration immediately. &nbsp;Smooth.

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• NA

  @nathanharris5197 · 1 year ago (edited)

  Just a &quot;Try FYI&quot; I remember as a young kid going to my great grandfathers 25acre farm couple weeks in summer when school was out. He taught me a lot of things over the years. In his days growing up, They lived exactly like Pioneers on the farm. He built a contraption that looked like an open view on all 4-sides and the top outhouse. Nothing huge or fancy, it served it&apos;s purpose extremely well. 6ft high, 6ft wide. Instead of closed in walls and roof, he used porch screening. It was situated &apos;bout 10yds from his home made smokehouse in the sunniest spot. He&apos;d hang his beef, deer meat exactly how you did inside it and never had a bee/wasp sting that I&apos;m aware of. Matter of fact he doubled the screening. I guess wasps can only try chewing thru screen so long before they leave exhausted. So sun drying there were zero insect burrowing incidents. Not one entryway for them to get in. He&apos;d hang beef, and fish, to make jerky&apos;s, sometimes turkey meat. All always delicious. The way he spiced up, was always a perfect balance of tangy &amp; borderline sweet. He even taught me how to make Pemmican &amp; Hard tack biscuits pioneers style. Make a bunch of those two survival foods, throw in fresh carrots or potato&apos;s, you are not going to ever worry about starving. Just make sure you&apos;re drinking tons of water before, during and after eating. Or you&apos;ll be peanut butter pooping a few days. So, yes, you&apos;ll need 11-teen rolls of TP😉😂😜 Think MRE. (Those who know......know😉).

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• NE

  @Neon217 · 1 year ago

  Video title: Preserve meat with no refrigeration <br>Step 4: Put in refrigerator over night

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