All three work, and the honest difference between them is time and commitment rather than quality. An oven on its lowest setting gets you biltong in a couple of hours and needs nothing you do not already own. A dehydrator is arguably the ideal tool, running low and steady for ten to twelve hours while you get on with your day. A biltong box is the traditional route: a slow air-dry over days at room temperature, with a fan moving air past the strips, and it is as much a hobby as it is a method.
Our kit is written around the oven, because that is the version everyone can do this weekend. Here is how each of the three actually behaves, and which one suits which kind of person.
How does the oven method work?
You marinate lean beef in cider vinegar and the spice mix, hang or lay the strips out, and dry them in the oven on its lowest setting until they are firm. Our simplified method gets you there in a couple of hours, which is the part people do not believe until they have done it.
The catch with domestic ovens is that many will not go low enough, and the fix is a tea towel. Set the oven to its very lowest setting, check it is genuinely on and heating, then hang a tea towel between the door and the oven so the door stays ajar. That does two useful things at once: it drops the temperature a little, and it lets the moisture escape instead of steaming the meat you are trying to dry. At that slightly higher heat the biltong may be ready nearer the two hour mark, so keep an eye on it rather than setting a timer and wandering off.
If you cook on an AGA, use the simmering oven, which sits around 100 degrees, again with a tea towel so the door is closed but not sealed. It will likely finish faster, closer to two hours.
The biltong making kit is built for exactly this: seasoning, cider vinegar and a chilli and garlic mix, two batches, no drying box needed.
What about a dehydrator?
If you own one, use it. It is arguably the ideal tool for this, because it does the one thing an oven struggles with: holds a genuinely low temperature steadily while pulling moist air away from the meat.
Follow the recipe as written for the marinade and the slicing, then instead of hanging the meat in the oven, lay or hang the strips in the dehydrator at 65 degrees for ten to twelve hours, until they are dried right through. It is slower than the oven method by a long way, but it is almost entirely unattended, which makes it the overnight option. Load it before bed, wake up to biltong.
A dehydrator also comes into its own if you make dried meat regularly, because trays stack and you are not tying up the oven for an evening.
What is a biltong box, and do you need one?
A biltong box is a ventilated cabinet, often home-built, in which strips of marinated beef hang at room temperature while a fan moves air past them. It is the traditional South African approach and it is how biltong was made long before anyone had a dehydrator: no heat to speak of, just airflow and patience, over days rather than hours.
Do you need one? No. Our kit's method deliberately does not require one, because a box is a piece of equipment to buy or build, a corner of the kitchen to give up, and a several-day wait before you find out whether your seasoning was right.
Should you want one? Possibly, eventually. If you have made a few batches, know how you like your biltong and fancy the slow version, a box is a lovely thing and the long, gentle dry does give you the most traditional result. It is the method for the person who has already decided this is a hobby, not the method for a first batch.
Which should you choose?
- Oven. Best for a first batch, for anyone who wants biltong today, and for anyone not ready to buy equipment. Needs a tea towel and a bit of attention near the end.
- Dehydrator. Best if you already own one or dry meat often. Set it at 65 degrees for ten to twelve hours and leave it alone.
- Biltong box. Best for the enthusiast who wants the traditional slow dry at room temperature with good airflow, and who is happy to wait days.
One thing does not change between them: the beef. Use lean beef, as lean as you can get, because fat does not dry well in any of the three. For biltong, a more tender cut suits it, so an inexpensive steak or a roasting joint is the right sort of thing. You will need about 500g per batch.
How do you know when it is done?
By feel, not by clock, whichever method you used. It should be firm and dry to the touch, and at medium it should bend without snapping. Beyond that, dryness is a matter of taste: softer and moister, or drier and firmer, is your call, and you get there by drying it longer or stopping earlier.
If it comes out too dry or tough, slice thinner next time and across the grain, and reduce the drying time. Every oven differs, so check your first batch early. If it is still too moist or soft, simply dry it longer. It wants to be firm and leathery rather than wet, and properly dried meat keeps much better besides.
Store the finished biltong in an airtight container. Well-dried biltong keeps for a couple of weeks, and refrigerating it extends that. If a batch still feels moist, eat it sooner.
Biltong drying method FAQs
Do I need a biltong box to make biltong at home?
No. A biltong box is the traditional slow method, drying strips over days at room temperature with airflow, but an oven on its lowest setting with the door held ajar makes biltong in a couple of hours with no special equipment.
Is a dehydrator better than an oven for biltong?
A dehydrator is arguably the ideal tool because it holds a low temperature steadily, but it takes ten to twelve hours at 65 degrees rather than a couple of hours. The oven method is faster, the dehydrator is more hands-off.
My oven will not go low enough, what do I do?
Set it to its very lowest setting, check it is actually heating, and hang a tea towel between the door and the oven so the door stays ajar. That lowers the temperature slightly and lets moisture escape, and the biltong may be done closer to the two hour mark.
How long does biltong take in each method?
A couple of hours in the oven with our simplified method, ten to twelve hours in a dehydrator at 65 degrees, and several days in a biltong box at room temperature. Judge by texture rather than by the clock.
Which beef should I use?
Lean beef, as lean as possible, because fat does not dry well. For biltong a more tender cut works best, such as an inexpensive steak or a roasting joint, and you want about 500g per batch.
Ready to hang your first batch? The biltong kit is part of our range of meat making kits.
