Our biltong and jerky kits are not halal certified, and we would rather say that plainly than leave it vague. What we can tell you is what is in them: dried spices and salt, plus cider vinegar in the biltong marinade. There is no meat, no gelatine, no alcohol and no animal-derived ingredient in either kit, and there is no cure at all, just the seasoning blends. The meat is the part that decides the question, and the meat is the part you buy.
So if you are asking whether you can make halal biltong or jerky at home, the practical answer is that you choose your own certified meat from a butcher you trust, and you satisfy yourself about the seasonings from the ingredients on the pack. Here is everything you need to make that judgement.
What is actually in the kits?
The biltong kit contains a biltong seasoning of coriander, black and white pepper and Himalayan pink salt, a chilli and garlic mix, and cider vinegar for the marinade. That is it. You supply about 500g of lean beef per batch, and the kit does two batches.
The jerky kit contains two seasoning blends, smoky BBQ and chilli and garlic, along with wooden skewers for hanging the strips. Again you supply the beef, about 500g per batch, two batches per kit. No vinegar, no cure.
Both kits are dried spices and salt in grip-seal sachets. Neither carries any allergen ingredients. Every ingredient is listed on the pack, and if you have an allergy question, email hello@sandyleaffarm.com before ordering.
Why can we not just call them halal?
Because halal certification is a formal process carried out by a certifying body, applied to a product and its supply chain, and our kits have not been through it. Listing a set of plant ingredients is not the same as being certified, and we are not going to blur that line to make a sale.
What that does not mean is that the kits contain something problematic. It means we have not had a third party verify and certify them, so we describe the contents accurately and leave the conclusion to you and, if it matters to you, to whoever you normally ask.
What about the cider vinegar in the biltong kit?
Cider vinegar is part of the traditional biltong marinade. It is there for flavour, that sharp South African tang, and it helps preserve the meat alongside the salt and the drying.
Whether vinegar made from fermented apple juice is acceptable is a question that different authorities answer differently, and it is genuinely not ours to answer for you. If it matters to you, ask your own authority rather than taking a food company's word for it. We will simply be clear that it is in the biltong kit, on the pack and in the recipe.
If you would rather sidestep the question altogether, the jerky kit is the straightforward choice: seasoning blends and your own beef, with no vinegar anywhere in it. Jerky is the American style, sliced, seasoned and oven-dried, while biltong is the South African style, marinated with vinegar and spices before drying. Both end up as dried beef you made yourself.
Choosing the meat
This is where the real decision sits, and it is entirely in your hands. Buy your beef from a halal butcher you are confident in, and the same rules apply as for any batch of dried meat.
- Lean, as lean as you can get. Fat does not dry well and will let a batch down whatever else you do right.
- For biltong, a more tender cut. An inexpensive steak or a roasting joint is the right sort of thing.
- For jerky, lean is what matters. Thin-cut frying steak or brisket both work really well.
- About 500g per batch, and each kit makes two batches.
- Fresh. Drying preserves good meat, it does not rescue meat that is past its best.
A butcher will often slice a piece thinner for you if you explain what you are making, which saves you a job. Otherwise, pop the beef in the freezer for half an hour before slicing and thin, even strips become far easier to cut.
How the making actually goes
For jerky: slice the lean beef thin, across the grain for a more tender result or with the grain for a chewier bite, season it with one of the two blends, and dry it slowly in the oven on a low heat until firm. Full timings are in the booklet.
For biltong: marinate the beef in the cider vinegar and spice mix, adding the chilli and garlic if you want it hotter, then dry it. Our simplified method takes a couple of hours.
If your oven will not go low enough, set it to its very lowest setting and hang a tea towel between the door and the oven so the door stays ajar. That drops the temperature slightly and lets the moisture escape, and the batch may be ready closer to the two hour mark. With a dehydrator, lay or hang the strips at 65 degrees for ten to twelve hours instead.
Either way, it is done when it is firm and dry to the touch and bends without snapping, jerky a touch firmer than biltong. Keep it in an airtight container, where well-dried jerky and biltong keep for a couple of weeks, and refrigerating extends that.
Halal jerky and biltong FAQs
Are Sandy Leaf Farm jerky and biltong kits halal certified?
No, the kits are not halal certified. They contain dried spices and salt, with cider vinegar in the biltong marinade, and no animal-derived ingredients, but they have not been through a certification process.
Is there any meat or gelatine in the kits?
No. You supply the beef yourself, about 500g per batch. The kits contain seasoning blends only, plus cider vinegar in the biltong kit, with no cure and no animal ingredients.
Does the biltong kit contain alcohol?
The biltong marinade uses cider vinegar, which is made by fermenting apple juice. Authorities differ on how vinegar is treated, so if this matters to you please check it with your own authority rather than relying on us.
Which kit should I choose if I want to avoid vinegar?
The jerky kit. It contains two dried seasoning blends, smoky BBQ and chilli and garlic, and wooden skewers, with no vinegar in the recipe at all.
Where should I buy the beef?
From a halal butcher you trust, choosing the leanest cut you can. For biltong a tender cut such as an inexpensive steak or a roasting joint works well, and for jerky a thin-cut frying steak or brisket is ideal.
If that answers it, the beef jerky kit and its stablemates are all in our meat making kits.
