superadmin - Mufasa Biltong

August 3, 2021

Everything You Want To Know About Beef Biltong

Do you fancy trying out a new South African snack, biltong? Indeed, this nutrient-rich, satisfying dish will blow your mind.

Biltong is air dried, thinly sliced, cured meat that originated in Southern African countries like Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is a little like beef jerky. Just like beef jerky, biltong was used to pep up exhausted travellers on long-distance journeys.

Southern Africans used to preserve their meat by curing it with a little bit of salt and hanging it up in a cold room. Then Europeans came along and altered the entire process. They brought spices, vinegar, pepper, coriander and cloves to the mix.

WHAT IS BILTONG?

When it comes to traditional biltong, we are talking about a whole range of cured and dried meats. South Africans have been mixing salt into the meat and hanging it up to air dry for decades. Recently, the rest of the world came to know about the dish and has modified the recipe.

What Meats are We Talking About?

Although biltong can be made from different meats, you will most often find beef on it. This is because beef is readily available in the market and inexpensive as well. However, biltong can also be made using fish (dried, salty bokkoms, and even shark), ostrich meat, sirloin of springbok or kudu. Believe it or not, you will love this snack.

What is the Difference Between Beef Jerky and Biltong?

Beef jerky and biltong may look similar, but they are worlds apart.

Beef jerky has been around for a while now. In fact, some people believe it dates back to an ancient Inca Tribe called the Quechua, who coined the term ‘charki’ (today it is known as ‘jerky’). Jerky means dried and salted meat.

Others think North Americans have discovered it. Since drying meat is one of the most ancient methods in the book for preserving food, it is no wonder we get confused when looking at their origins.

Typically, when we talk about beef jerky, we are looking at thin slices of lean beef, dried low and slow. Beef jerky can be prepared in different ways. Smoking, salting, and dehydrating are the most commonly known methods.

Why use the salt? Salt helps gently draw the moisture out and add flavour to the meat.

The ideal beef jerky has a tiny amount of fat because fat does not dry well and can turn rancid.

What is biltong?

Biltong is made with fewer preservatives and fewer artificial flavours. The best biltong makers stick to the age-old methods used in South Africa to prepare this stunning dish.

Traditional biltong is thicker than beef jerky. What sets biltong apart from beef jerky? It is all in the seasoning. The meat in biltong is coated in a unique, moreish spice mix, traditional rock salt, all-spice, ground coriander seeds, and black pepper. Vinegar is also added to the mix. Vinegar gives a distinct layer of flavour to the dried and cured meat, softening up the meat to give it that steak-like mouthfeel.

Mufasa Biltong is your one-stop destination for all sorts of dried meats you can get at an affordable price. Check out the site now www.mufasabiltong.com.au

August 2, 2021

A Step-By-Step Guide To Preparing The Biltong: A South African Delicacy

If you ever had the pleasure of trying Biltong (dried meat), you will know how tasty this South African delicacy is.

South African Biltong is traditionally made from lean beef with salt, spices and vinegar. The name of the recipe comes from the Dutch word Bil, which means buttock of an animal, and Tong, which means the tongue.

If you are looking forward to making this South African delicacy in your kitchen, this guide is here to help.

Choosing the Meat

Traditionally, in South Africa, wild game is used to make Biltong. This can be Kudu, Springbok, or Ostrich. The main factors to consider when choosing the meat are its quality and the right piece.

It would be best if you can hang rump steak. The meat is tender and tastes excellent as steak.

In fact, selecting the right Biltong meat is simple. The meat should be lean, tender and easy to hang. You do not necessarily have to use high-quality rump steak to prepare this dish. The faux-filet or topside of a beef joint will also taste exceptionally good, depending on the quality of the meat.

Ingredients: Basic recipe for original South African Biltong

3 kg lean easy to hang beef
Salt
Black pepper
Coriander seeds
Fresh garlic
Sugar
Sausage string
Vinegar (malt vinegar or white wine vinegar)

Step 1

First, rinse the rump steak in cold water and trim away any fat from the meat. (leave the fat on if you want fatty biltong.

Step 2

Cut the meat lengthwise across the fibre in 2 cm thick slices using a sharp knife. The width of the beef pieces should be at least 5 cm.

Step 3

Lightly toast some coriander seeds in a pan. This will enhance the flavour of the meat. Then roughly crush them in a mortar.

Step 4

The spice mix should include 30-gram salt, one tablespoon coriander seeds, 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, one crushed garlic clove, along with 50 ml vinegar.

You may add a little bit of chilli, which is optional. You can also use pepperoncino flakes to add flavour to the dish.

Step 5

Pour some vinegar over the meat and mix them well using your hands. Then sprinkle the spice mix over it and give it a mix again.

You can place the bowl covered with foil directly into the fridge, or you can shrink-wrap it. The benefit of shrink-wrapping is that you can knead the meat in the bag as many times as you need. This will ensure the spice mix penetrates deep inside the meat.

Step 6

After 24 hours, hang the marinated meat, evenly distributed, in a Biltong box. Close the box and turn on the lamp.

After around three days, the thinner pieces will be ready. The thicker slices will take up to 4 days to be ready.

It would be best to keep the Biltong hanging up in a cold room. It is not advised to keep the Biltong in the refrigerator. If it is kept hanging in a dry and well-ventilated place, you can store it for a couple of months.

Mufasa Biltong is your one-stop destination for all sorts of dried meat that you can buy at an affordable price. Please pay a visit to the website to learn more. www.mufasabiltong.com.au or visit any of Mufasa Biltong outlets around Perth.

July 14, 2021

What are the Major Differences Between Biltong and Jerky?

As the demand for biltong is increasing even outside South Africa, several people ask the main difference between biltong and jerky. Both are different products, and different procedures manufacture them. The main similarity is that they both are dried meat snacks. You can easily identify both the items by the way they look, how they are made (including both the processes and ingredients), taste and texture. The nutritional value of jerky and Biltong in Perth are also different.

However, both are great as snacks in terms of nutritional value, and their origin dated back to the early expeditions for discovering several new territories. Apart from these, both can be made with meat items other than beef. These are also available with wild meat options like deer, impala, kudu, eland, ostrich, and so on.

Now, going further, it is very important to know the difference between these two food items. Here are some of the points that will describe how these two snacks are dissimilar-

Appearance
Biltong is generally made in larger pieces, and they are either sold in large pieces or first cut into smaller ones that are then sold in preserved packets. It can also be made in thinner sticks or strips that are dried easily than the larger ones.

On the other hand, the jerky is thinner and flatter as compared to biltong. It is generally cut in a square or a rectangular shape. It is made from ground beef and squeezed into a rectangular strip shape. It is mainly called the meat “sticks.”
The Preparation Technique
For biltong, it has no added preservatives. Earlier, this dish was made in South Africa as there was a demand for dried preserved meat among the people who went for longer trips in the interior of South African forests. Vinegar, salt, and other spices are added in biltong and mixed, and the meat piece is dried and cured. In the processing of this meat, vinegar is used for curing, and it also helps in adding flavour to the item.

The main difference between the procedure of making the biltong and jerky is that the former is made in the absence of heat. A cooler climate is preferable in making the biltong. So, if you are making this snack in a humid climate, you should be careful about the temperature. It is air-dried for a week by hanging the spiced and cured pieces of meat vertically from the hooks. The drying takes around 4-5 days for small or medium pieces, and for the larger pieces, they take about 14 days to dry up completely.

On the other hand, jerky is also dried but without the addition of any vinegar and salt. The jerky is cooked in the dehydrator for about 6-12 hours or more. Jerky can also be dehydrated in the smoker, sun-dried, oven, or even air-dried. Jerky can be made from whole meat or minced meat.
Nutritional Value
The most common question is- how much protein content in Biltong in Perth or jerky? A 100 grams of beef biltong has 60 grams of protein, where 94% of protein is mainly digestible, which means the body will absorb almost all the protein content in Biltong.

In the case of jerky, 100 grams of beef contains 33 grams of protein. An added benefit of jerky is that it is made in a lean cut which can be trimmed for excessive fat.

These are the major differences between jerky and biltong. If you want to order good quality beef biltong, you can place your order at Mufasa Biltong, one of the trusted platforms that provide Biltong, smoked sausages, and boerewors. – www.mufasabiltong.com.au

July 12, 2021

Everything You Need To Know About South African Biltong in Australia

Biltong is one of the most popular and tasty dried and cured meat made and enjoyed by South Africans and other people worldwide. This dried and treated meat is in high demand due to its taste but is very healthy and nutritious compared to the available snacks in the market like chips, chocolates, and oily fast food. People can even eat South African biltong in Australia at the reputed restaurants, and several websites offer biltong and other dried food to the Aussies.

What does The Nutritional Value Biltong provide?

It is one of the best sources of protein. 100 grams of biltong contains 60 grams of protein, high among all the dried and cured meat available. It contains a very low amount of carbohydrates. Unlike the other snacks you get from the market, biltong does not contain any carcinogenic ingredients that might cause several health issues later.

Where Biltong Originate From?

Though biltong is a South African food made from dried beef and game meat, it is found in various parts of the globe. The word “biltong” is derived from two different words- “Bil”, which means buttock, and “tong”, which means strip. Hence, biltong means a long strip of dried and cured meat. This item is very popular in South Africa, and this delicacy is inherited from the ancestors who used dried meat during the expeditions. Biltong has a great interesting history, and it is also having a great future along with ‘droewors’ and caters for the requirement of both the local and international tourists.

Why Does Biltong Generally Not Rot?

Think that you are buying your favourite snack after knowing that it will never expire. Well, it is experienced by all the biltong lovers globally. This is cured and dried in such a manner that prevents contamination and so biltong can never become bad. The meat is mixed with various indigenous spices like salt, sugar, coriander seeds and vinegar. However, it does not mean that you will buy biltong now and think it will last for more than five years from now. Though the meat will not spoil, the longer you will leave, the faster the flavour and freshness will get hampered.

When Biltong Is Will Be Ready To Be Consumed?

If you are making your biltong or are drying the already cured biltong, you will not understand when it is ready to eat. The drying time of this item depends upon the style and type of biltong being prepared. For example, wet biltong gets ready to be consumed faster than the dried South African biltong in Australia. The standard biltong varieties are soft from the centre and dryer on the outer margin. You should dry biltong for 4-5 days before the day when you plan to consume.

How the Biltong Different From Jerky

Many tourists who travel across the globe think that biltong and jerky are similar items, but they are not. They are different in the way they are made and in the overall nutritional value. Biltong is cured and dried with spices and with the help of vinegar, but jerky is made by traditional drying.

Do you want to buy the best quality biltong in Australia? You can place orders from Mufasa Biltong, one of the trusted providers of dried and cured meat.

September 9, 2019December 9, 2019

WELCOME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE

Welcome to our new website developed to better showcase the products we offer and to provide updates on the company.

Here at Mufasa we provide a wealth of knowledge and experience and are looking forward to serving you.

CONTACT US

Complete our simple online form and a representative will be in contact.

September 9, 2019May 29, 2020

A TOUCH AND A TASTE OF HOME

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A HOUSE AWAY FROM HOME FEEL LIKE HOME

“I don’t take coffee, I take tea, my dear
I like my toast done on one side
And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I’m an Englishman in New York”

The above are lyrics from Sting’s 1987 hit off the album Nothing like the Sun. This song is living proof that the life and challenges of expats have been around for quite some time now.

An expat (short for expatriate) is the term used to identify a person who has chosen to live away from their home country in favour of another. This can be on either a temporary or permanent basis. It’s an exciting undertaking which promises a world of opportunity and new experiences at every turn. However, more often than not, there comes a time in every expat’s life where the smells, tastes, sights and experiences of home start to form a void in the heart and create an unquestionable feeling of “something’s missing”. For the South African, delicacies and experiences like ouma’s biltong potjie and other biltong recipes are likely to be sorely missed. The beef jerky found online is unlikely to be a worthy substitute.

THE EXPAT STORY

Even in these times of increased globalisation, faster travel and the ever-present internet, becoming an expat is still regarded as courageous and adventurous. After all, removing yourself from the only world you’ve known and grown up in, in favour of an alien environment with alien culture, practices and surroundings can certainly be daunting. Yet the growing few continue to do so because of reasons such as:

Bridging the gap for cross border love
Pursuing greater career opportunities
The lure of new experiences and surroundings
The chance to broaden horizons
Finding oneself
Networking and expanding business prospects

THE CURE FOR THE HOMESICK EXPAT

Living on foreign soil can easily be romanticised, however, it is only natural that we can wind up missing our former lives or at least certain aspects of them. We eluded to this void and homesick feeling earlier. All is not lost and there are definite ways to find a taste and touch of home. The beauty of globalisation and modern travel is that your fellow countrymen are never too far away no matter where you find yourself in the world.

For example, let’s say you are South African and find yourself living down under. Even in Australia, there are bound to be events and organisations that cater to you and allow you to meet, greet and connect with other expats. With this expat community, you can reminisce about those glorious sundowners shared during the golden hour in the Western Cape, or argue over the questionable team selection choices made by Springboks as they enter Ellis Park. What’s more, if you’re missing the wholesome, flavourful tastes of unmistakably South African food, your expat friends will be sure to help you find a few slices of home, including any number of South African biltong recipes. Few foods are as South African or intertwined with South African culture and experiences as biltong.

THE ORIGIN OF BILTONG

If you’ve had biltong you know it’s more than just a spiced, dried meat that is somewhat similar to beef jerky; it’s an experience that, if it was humanly possible, we would make sure would never end. The word biltong is derived from the Dutch ‘bil’ which means buttock/rump and ‘tong’ which means tongue/strip.

The indigenous communities of Southern Africa preserved meat by cutting it into strips, curing it with salt and then hanging it up to dry. When European settlers came from France, Germany and the Netherlands they also had a need to preserve their stocks of meat. Unfortunately for them, this was before the time of the deep freezer and your favourite refrigerator brand. They adopted the preservation process used by the indigenous people of Southern Africa but also built on it by using vinegar and a variety of spices.

This allowed them to carry meat over long distances and time as they migrated during what was known as the Great Trek. The biltong we love today is the next step in evolution from the curing and drying processes implemented in the past.

Though made primarily from beef, biltong can also be made from:

Chicken, simply referred to as ‘chicken biltong.
Fish
Game
Ostrich

FIND YOUR SLICE OF HOME

Over a decade ago, Johann Plooy arrived in Perth with his family. He was an expat who, like you, had to overcome the challenges of being an expat as well as starting all over again. He did and you can read about it here.

Fast forward three years, and Johann opens the doors of Mufasa Biltong in Currambine. The life of an expat isn’t always a walk in the park across the greener pastures of a foreign land. This much is true but you can always find a slice of home, namely affordable, premium quality biltong at Mufasa Biltong.

Author: superadmin