What is Biltong and how to make it?

Question

What is biltong, how is it made, and is there a significant risk of contracting food poisoning from it

Answer 1

It is basically salted meat, most often beef. The process is similar to how prosciutto is made, although traditionally biltong does not use nitrates. Steaks from the silverside portion is first salted to remove most of the moisture in the meat. A small vinegar bath is then used to remove the salt and pickle the steaks slightly.

Then the meat is then doused in a very specific type of biltong spice and left overnight in the fridge. The morning after the meat is hanged on hooks for two to six weeks to dry. Typically this is done in winter time when the northen parts of South Africa have dry winters with low humidity (perfect for curing meat). Health wise it is not more or less healthy than any other red meat, it is lean meat for the most part though.