Drying your meat - Biltong, jerky, dried fish or anything

[flyfishfairwx]

I think the most natural and honest Jerky or dried meat I have ever had was of course along side a very nice creek. I had met a native fella with his kids on the river and we chatted a bit and then he offered me some moose meat jerky.

There was no "Flavor" to speak of just meat taste. It was great and of course I did the Canadian thing and offered him one of my beer.

All in all it was a very pleasant afternoon.

[savage]

That's why you hang the meat up as near the ceiling as possible, Richard. Like even hard for Paul to do with his meat.

Cheers
Karel

[Paul Arden]

Have you tried roadkill?

[jomeder]

Have you tried roadkill?

I've eaten a few road kill hares. They often get whacked in the head and are actually basically untouched apart from a little blood round the head. No bruising on the body or anything. These are fresh though i.e. I hit them and then grabbed them. I wouldn't eat anything older than that and nothing with tyre tracks :-).

And definitely nothing that was jerked from the heat off the road!

Regards,

Jo

[Jono Shales]

Next batch, this time chilli sticks

[savage]

Actually, driving to the cottage with my sister one evening, passed a dear by the side of the road just before the village the cottage is at. Poor thing was still alive, loaded it into the car and took it to the cottage into the light to see how bad the injuries were.

As soon as we saw that it was hopeless, we put the poor thing out of it's misery. I hung it over the balcony with a slit throat. When I woke up in the morning, the carcass was already chopped up on the table. A little later the meat was resting in the vinegar and spice.

My sister is not one to muck about with stuff.

Cheers
Karel

[JonnyB]

If you live on the east coast of Australia or any similar warm and wet climate:
Make sure the flys cannot get to it (unless you enjoy coarse fishing as well as fly fishing and need the maggots)
Get it going when it is not raining (even with vinegar it can get mouldy)

Apart from my own :closedeyes: , the best biltong is from Ellis Park shops in Durban (family owned for many years and they even remembered me last year after not being back in SA for almost ten years - howzit where you been.....)

Second best, although ten years plus ago, was the "butchery" at Cato Ridge shops (on the way from Durban to any trout) and the shop was still there last year, despite the fact the bottlo next door has closed and been pretty much ransacked. When I stopped in for biltong they were between batches so I could not test current quality. The khehla outside, who used to be the car guard during the short stops long ago, also remembered me - I must have been a really valued client.

Long drive for both now.

[savage]

Best was from a butcher shop in Harrismith when we'd be heading Eastcoast side. But the was years ago, heaven knows if it's still there.

If you have it seasoned properly, I find the flies ignore it and the stuff takes hell of beating before it goes off.

Cheers
Karel

[Jono Shales]

The vinegar and salts act as a preservative which is a huge deterrent for them, plus having a fan on the meat keeps any super desperate flies off.

It's interesting how everyone has stories of their best biltong experiences. For me it's 'Bakgat Biltong' in Lydenburg. About as good as it gets

[Haggisboy]

I never had biltong but it sure looks the biz. My bro' in law makes me killer jerky everytime he comes over to visit. Th ebest jerky i remember buying was from a wooden shack in Florissant Colorado. Super hot chile buffalo jerky, yum.

[igfafly]

Jono

Thsi make you hungry ?

Steve

[Jono Shales]

Nice Steve, show some pics once it's dry. You got a fan on that ?

[JonnyB]

I still like to keep the flies out of mine - seems they may also like my spices.

[igfafly]

no fan mate - eau natural !

removed mozzie net for the pic though !!!

[Jono Shales]

Next batch is hanging to dry