Biltong – South African Food at Its Best

South Africa is one of the countries that serve a range of diversified cuisines thanks to its cultural diversity. The country is home to many ethnicities from around the globe. So, there are plenty of foreign dishes which migrated into the country many centuries ago and have become respected recipes in South Africa. As a nation that is inhabited by blacks, Dutch, Germany, English, Frenchmen, and of course the Caucasians from Europe, the country boasts of the following top cuisines.

1. Biltong &droewors

It refers to meat that has been preserved using the dry curing method. The cuisine consists of sliced pieces of meat, which are mostly eaten with snacks. Before the slicing and preparing, Biltong Spice is used to cure the meat alongside other ingredients like vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and coriander.  The meat is then hung to dry. It is then used to prepare droewors that could be eaten as sausages and be eaten as a snack.

Nite that the Biltong Recipes could be eaten at any time.

2. Bobotie

It consists of layers of spices and meat. The cuisine is believed to have migrated from the dutch to South Africa in 1609. Once in South Africa, the cuisine was then spiced up to the Bobotie that is eaten in many parts of Southern Africa. It consists of minced meat spiced with lemon, garlic, turmeric, and heat curry; it also consists of pepper, salt, herbs, and onions. Before it is served, then baked until it is well cooked and then topped with milk and eggs. It is then placed into an oven.  Once cooked, it is then cut into squares before it is served on top of white or yellow rice.

3. Potjiekos

This is a South African cuisine prepared from the pot. It is prepared in a Dutch oven used to prepare meat and a layer of fresh vegetables and sauce that is usually placed on top of the meat. It then cooks the food on low heat. But the fire must be adequately controlled if you want to get the best results. Also, the cook must avoid lifting the lid until after the food is ready. This is vital since it helps the pot retain the moisture that helps in softening the meat. The chunk of meat being prepared and the number of layers is critical in determining the time it should prepare the meal. Once the food gets ready, it is stirred so that it mixes with the vegetables and meat. It is then scooped and served.

4. Beef jerky

It is one of the Biltong Recipes that all biltong lovers like. It consists of dried meat. The Dutch first created the dish because they needed some reliable food while on their long trek. It can be spiced differently by either using pepper, dried chilies, and Worcestershire sauce. Preparing the dish is simple. Once the meat is coated with spices, it is left to cure in a fridge. You may wash it with vinegar or water to remove the excess water before you prepare it. But you should be careful not to include too much salt, if you don’t want to waste the other spices by washing. By drying the Biltong Recipes, you will be removing the excess salt while concentrating the flavors. The meat needs to be dried in an area with good airflow and cool temperatures. Note that biltong is never dried in the oven. Besides, it requires a few more days to dry.