This is the benchmark biltong: silverside cut with the grain, cured overnight in brown vinegar and rock salt, then rolled in toasted coriander and cracked black pepper. Four to five days in a simple biltong box gives you a dark, dry crust with a deep red centre. No sugar, no smoke, no shortcuts.
Classic South African Beef Biltong
The original coriander, vinegar and rock salt cure on beef silverside — the recipe every South African kitchen starts with.
- Prep
- 30 minutes
- Drying
- 4-5 days
- Total
- 5 days
- Yield
- About 1 kg of finished biltong from 2.5 kg wet meat
Ingredients
Meat
- 2.5 kg beef silverside or topside, trimmed of sinew
- 60 ml coarse rock salt (not table salt)
Cure and spice
- 125 ml brown spirit vinegar
- 30 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 45 ml whole coriander seed, toasted and cracked
- 15 ml cracked black pepper
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda (optional, for a softer bite)
Method
- 1
Cut the silverside with the grain into strips roughly 2 cm thick and 3 cm wide. Leave a thin fat cap on for flavour.
- 2
Toast the coriander seed in a dry pan until fragrant, then crush coarsely in a mortar or under a rolling pin.
- 3
Layer the strips in a non-metallic dish, salting each layer with rock salt. Stand for 1 hour, then shake off the excess salt.
- 4
Splash the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce over the meat and turn every strip so it is wet all over. Rest 30 minutes.
- 5
Roll each strip in the coriander, pepper and bicarb mix, pressing the spice into the surface.
- 6
Hang the strips on hooks in your biltong box with at least 3 cm between them. Run the fan and the light bulb.
- 7
Dry for 4-5 days at 25-30 C. Test at day 4: the strip should feel firm with a slight give in the middle for medium biltong.
- 8
Slice across the grain and store in a paper bag or breathable container.
Tips from the box
- • Never let strips touch in the box — that is where mould starts.
- • Freeze the meat for 30 minutes before cutting to get cleaner, straighter strips.
- • Wet biltong is ready at day 3; rock-hard shards take 7 days or more.
Frequently asked questions
Which cut of beef is best for biltong?
Silverside is the classic choice because it is lean, grainy and slices long. Topside and rump also work well. Avoid cuts with heavy sinew running through them.
How long does biltong take to dry?
In a fan-assisted box at 25-30 C, expect 3 days for wet biltong, 4-5 days for medium and 7 days or more for dry.
Can I make biltong without a biltong box?
Yes. Any well-ventilated, dry space with a small fan works — a cardboard box with a computer fan and airflow holes dries biltong perfectly well.