OSTRICH BILTONGS — The Kitchen Scholar

SOURCE: MAGDALEEN VAN WYK AND PAT BURTON. TRADITIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN COOKING.

Inseparable from South African consciousness, biltongs embody charcuterie at its wild and untamed heart because the historical meat used for dry-curing was game, particularly the antelope venison of a kudu, springbok, or wildebeest. Unfortunately, o… — Inseparable from South African consciousness, *biltongs* embody *charcuterie* at its wild and untamed heart because the historical meat used for dry-curing was game, particularly the antelope venison of a kudu, springbok, or wildebeest. Unfortunately, overhunting and unsuccessful efforts in ruminant domestication have decimated the antelope population in the African savannahs, thus, forcing the prices of game meat exports to skyrocket and diminishing any curious chance and access to the once-in-a-lifetime culinary or tasting experience of a *Voortrekker* diet. The only attainable savannah creature that can closely match the Africanness of antelopes in making *biltongs* is the ostrich due to its adaptability to widespread farming in different climates. Compared to its beef counterpart, raw ostrich meat is dark red, leaner, and lower in fat and cholesterol content, which hastens the removal of water and shortens the duration of its dry-curing.

Ingredients

3 pounds/1.4 kilograms ostrich meat

3 tablespoons/60 grams salt

1 tablespoons/13 grams tightly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon/3 grams baking soda

OPTIONAL: 1/8 teaspoon/2 grams saltpeter OR Prague powder

3/4 teaspoon/2 grams freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon/5 grams freshly ground coriander seeds

2 tablespoons/30 mL malt vinegar OR apple cider and more for preserving

1 cups/250 mL warm water

Specific Equipment

Rectangular deep-bottomed glass tray

Plastic wrap

Paper towels

Biltong box OR Dehydrator OR air-fryer equipped with low temperature calibration settings

Makes 2 1/4 pounds/1 kilogram

Instructions

1. Cut the ostrich meat length along the grain and slice the meat further into strips at a thickness of 2 to 2.5 inches/5 to 7 cm.

2. Combine the salt, sugar, baking soda, saltpeter or Prague powder, pepper and coriander seeds until well-blended. Rub the mixture into ostrich meat.

3. Layer the meat on the glass tray, placing the bulky pieces in the bottom and sprinkling vinegar on each layer. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

4. Combine 2 tablespoons/30 mL malt vinegar or apple cider with water until well-blended. Dip the ostrich into the mixture to give it a dark sheen. Pat the ostrich dry with paper towels.

5. Hang the slices of ostrich in a biltong box for 4 to 5 days or until dry or dry inside the dehydrator or air fryer for 5 to 6 hours at 140°F/60°C.