“In case it hasn’t been clear, I am living in the UK now, but I was born and raised in sunny South Africa. Those that know me will note that this post is way overdue – BILTONG! Biltong is truly the way to my heart, and has been since I first chewed on it while teething as a baby. This is how teething is dealt with in South Africa. It is my favourite keto snack ever! There are numerous stores around the UK that sell excellent biltong, but nothing beats the satisfaction of making your own South African Homemade biltong. You could probably fashion your own biltong maker (box, light, fan) but my trusty one has never let me down. It gets used a lot and has a permanent spot on my kitchen counter. Regarding the spices, go ahead and make your own, but Freddy Hirsch has perfected it! ” – Monya
Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!
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More on Homemade South African Biltong…
South African biltong is a popular dried and cured meat snack that is similar to beef jerky but has its own unique flavour and preparation process. It is a beloved traditional food in Southern African countries, known for its rich taste and long shelf life. It holds cultural significance in South Africa, where it has been a staple snack for generations.
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Biltong can be made from various types of meat, with beef being the most common choice. Other meats like game (such as kudu, springbok, or ostrich), pork, and even fish can be used.
Before drying, the meat is marinated in a mixture of vinegar and spices. The exact blend of spices can vary, but common ingredients include salt, black pepper, coriander, and sometimes paprika. The vinegar serves both as a flavouring agent and as a preservative.
Biltong has a distinct flavour profile, characterised by the combination of spices used in the marinade. It is savoury, salty, and often slightly tangy due to the vinegar. The texture can range from relatively soft to quite firm, depending on personal preferences.
It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for Homemade South African Biltong, as well as all the Snacks & Fat Bombs on Fats of Life®.
South African Biltong
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) topside or silverside
- 60 g (2.1 oz) malt vinegar
- 50 g (1.8 oz) Freddy Hirsch Original Biltong Spice Mix
Instructions
- Firstly, ensure you are working on very clean surfaces. Your biltong maker should be scrubbed with hot, soapy water and thoroughly dried.
- You can ask your butcher to cut you a piece of meat, or you can simply buy a Topside or Silverside from the store. With or without fat is up to you.
- Using a very sharp knife, slice the meat along the grain – not against the grain – into 2.5cm / 1-inch thick pieces (if you slice them any thinner, your biltong may be too salty.)
- Prepare a bowl of regular malt vinegar, then dip each piece into the vinegar and remove and lay out on a cooling rack or grid set over a tray to ensure the excess vinegar runs off.
- Place the tray in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
- Boil the hooks (they come with the biltong maker) for 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
- Prepare a bowl of the spice mix. Take each piece of meat, pat dry with kitchen paper towel and roll in the spice mix. Gently dust off any excess - else you may be left with a salty batch. Use a hook at one end and hang in the biltong maker. Discard the unused spice mix.
- Turn it on and leave it for 2-3 days for moist biltong, or 4-5 days if you prefer it drier.
- Store in a sealed container. Use a very sharp knife or biltong slicer to slice the pieces as you snack.
My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!
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The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.
I wasn't entirely comfortable about providing nutritional breakdown and macros for my biltong because Freddy Hirsch does not feature them on their food label. There is also a lot of spice that goes unused (after you roll the pieces in the spice mix) so I wasn't going to get accurate data for you. The calculations did, however, come in at 0g carbs per 100g / 3.5oz serving without the spice mix (obvs).
However, I couldn't ignore the mention of dextrose, sucrose and cereal in the Freddy Hirsch ingredients description (see below), so bear this in mind. List below for allergen purposes:
Freddy Hirsch Original Biltong Spice Mix Ingredients:
Salt, coriander (irradiated), white pepper (irradiated), dextrose, sucrose, ascorbic acid, MSG (flavour enhancer), cereal (wheat flour, gluten, Triticum aestivum), flavourings.
See all the Snacks & Fat Bomb recipes on Fats of Life:
Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macro calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.
3 Comments
Thank you very much for south African biltong, it’s difficult for me to get such kind of information most of the time always. I really hope I can work on your tips and it works for me too, I am happy to come across your article.Do check out this Biltongplus.co.nz, it has some great and nice ideas to look for.
Thank you! I will check it out xxxx
Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible! Monya xxx