Biltong Recipe

Recipe | Biltong | Weekly Wakeup

Making your own biltong is extremely easy and very rewarding. Here are some reasons why you should just buy some basic ingredients and get it done.
  • It is the best snack ever.
  • There becomes a moment when you realize that you are using chemistry as your ancestors did, allowing you to create a food product that is extremely healthy and safe to travel with.
  • That sudden appreciation for the moment when you need more because it's so delicious and its all gone.
The history of biltong is really about how we humans learned how to survive in conditions where we did not have the ability to refrigerate food. I think it is important to learn these basic food preparation techniques for several reasons, most of which, we live in a region that often allows us to travel, hike, or camp in places without the latest food storage techniques. On a personal note, I think what makes this recipe special, is that it comes from South Africa, an area of the world that was the center of travel, allowing many cultures to intertwine and create something really special.  

Ingredients

  • A - Supply chunk of cow, lamb, elk, or venison meat. Preferably a cheeper cut if you're going to be being it as honestly it makes the toughest meat tender as a ribeye steak.
  • A - Supply of rock sea salt
  • A - Supply of fine ground sea salt
  • A - Supply of whole coriander seeds
  • A - Supply of whole black pepper seeds
  • A - Supply of malt vinegar

Please note: Above when I listed an about as 'A - Supply' I am referring too the fact that there will be a ratio of each of these items and there are no real measurements, just guidelines. Yes, I said it you're going to be curing meat without a measurement, deal with it. That being said, it is safe as long as you go by these two basic guidelines:

  1. The use of salt, vinegar, coriander, and black pepper is not about tase, as much as it is about allowing the meat to dehydrate chemically at the same time of being able to resist the growth of pathogens.
  2. People have been curing meat with salt for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. Regionally, there are some variants especially considering any regionally grown anti-bacterial or fungal herbs. However they have one main ingredient; Salt.
 

Instructions

  1. Take the chunk of meat, in this case it is a 'rancher steak' out on the counter and observe how you can cut in into as many 1 inch thick 6 inches long slices. Here is an example of what I just bought for $30.
    • Once you have the slices cut you will notice that there will be some that are smaller slices, that is quite all right. The only goal is to make sure that you have them to an even thickness as shown in [Step 1B photo].
  2. Place slices of meat in a bowl with enough fine salt, malt vinegar, hand ground coriander & black pepper (you can do this in a spice grinder or a hand grinder as shown), covering all surfaces. This example to the right I placed the following ratio:
    • 2 - Heaping table spoons of fine sea salt
    • 1/2 - Cup of malt vinegar
    • 2 - Heaping table spoons of ground coriander
    • 1 Heaping table spoons of ground black pepper
  3. Place meat strips close together in a flat glass or food grade plastic bin as in the next photo for 24-48 hours [4].
    • You don't have to cover the meat while it is in the fridge, if you don't however you will just have a fridge that smells like coriander and malt vinegar.
  4. Take meat strips out of plastic container, wash them down in the sink with the malt vinegar
    • The goal here is to just make sure you are washing again anything that has even thought about growing off of the meat that includes some of the fine salt and some of the ground coriander.
  5. Take each strip set it on a clean flat pan or cookie sheet, douse it with the rock sea salt and ground coriander, don't use the black pepper.
    • You can use the same container as the previous for the next step just wash it out and dry it off.
    • The amount of rock salt and coriander will be comparable to the ratio above however remember rock salt is more salt per granule. I prefer to just use a lot, cause I like salt.
    • Remember this is the last real stage that you will be handling the meat, just focus on the fact that it should look like the photo here [5]. Please note that as long as you used a lot of salt in the first part and you follow the basic guidelines here after you should have a great product. You will get the hang of it in regards to the ratio of ingredients - everyone is different. I have had super, super salty biltong and I ok with it. Others thought that it was the best they have every had. It is all up to you!
  6. Hang the meat strips with a bacteriostatic hanging method (food grade plastic or a stainless steel hanger or wood that has been treated) in a location where you can clean the floor as the meat will drip for 24 hours or so.
    • Notice in the photo I have of my pieces of hanging biltong over my kitchen counter for draining purposes.
    • I am using non-food grade plastic paperclips and I am ok with it because I would know the signs of mold or other issues from experience.
    • Traditionally biltong boxes are used to solve both issues I have pointed out above. However, if your just starting out you do not have to use one. Place a fan on low pointing in the general direction or place a light below witch produces airflow through something called a 'stack effect'.
    • I have never seen mold or fungus growing in any piece of biltong. You will quickly know it from how it looks, grey or white, fury or flat growths. That usually happens because there is
      • No air flow
      • Biltong pieces are touching
  7. Wait until it is firm to the touch. Some like it a bit 'wet', some like it dry. I honestly am just a bit too impatient to wait a full 7 days for standard conditions. Every situation is different but I have had biltong cure in 4 days with thin cuts and a lot of salt in the summer time.

Done.

Rancher Steak
Step 1A
Step 1B
Step 2
Step 3
Step 6
Grilled Spatchcock Recipe

Recipe | Grilled Spatchcock Chicken | Weekly Wakeup

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, sounds infamous, however it seems to be an unknown within our grilling culture. I can honestly say, any other method of grilling chicken on a bbq is completely worthless.

I know some of you may like to use a specific cut of chicken on a grill, example being a leg or thigh in a family pack. I do understand this to some extent, especially if you're trying to cook for a party of 10 or more. Just trust me, this is a better way. This recipe is inexpensive, easy, and consistent every time.

To add: If you admit to anyone that you only bbq the breast all by itself because you like it that way, stop reading now. You are not up for the challenge, I mean this, go away. Learn about a DIY method of cleaning your grass with a vacuum.

 

Special Facts About Chicken & Grilling

They are dinosaurs, they are not mammals. Histologically (study of size and structure of cells), chickens are organized differently than mammals [1]. Taking this into account, you need to be ware of a few key concepts:

  • Chicken muscle has less water than red meat. This can often lead to a very dry chicken if grilled incorrectly.
  • Chicken fat has more connective tissue than red meat. This can lead to small fires in a bbq causing over charring. This is why you often see a bottle of water next to a bbq. Not cool, man.
  • Chickens are lumpy objects. Grilling chicken evenly, can be almost impossible. However there is a solution, spatchcocking. Otherwise known as medieval butchering, [Old English: a fowl that is dispatched quickly]. It consists of two cuts with scissors, that is it. Watch below and just get it done!

 

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole chicken
  • 2 Tablespoons of salt
  • 2 Tablespoons of freshly ground pepper
  • 1 Lime cut in quarters
  • 1 table spoon of chili powder

Instructions

  1. Start BBQ 25 min before cooking, whether it's a coal or a gas at 350F. If you have neither, then get the oven started to 400F
  2. Spatchcock the chicken. Spread all of the salt and pepper on top of the chicken.
    • Just watch the video, use more salt than pepper. Do not set the chicken out for longer than 20 min. This is a safety thing.
  3. Place 'spatchcocked' chicken breast side up over an even medium heat for 30 min.
    • Be sure to cover bbq lid, try to almost suffocate the bbq of oxygen. This is a good way of dampening the possible flair-ups by the chicken fat melting on the flame or coals. If you are using an oven just leave it in a pan, I like to use vegetables cut in 1' squares as a base so the chicken cooks above its own fat.
  4. After cooking the chicken for 30 min, turn chicken over and cook it for 10 min.
    • You will see that the inside of the ribcage of the chicken is now face up. It will hopefully be a bit chard and blackened, that is what you want as you don't want to eat that part. If you are using your oven just keep it in the oven for the rest of the time suggested for turn overs.
  5. Turn chicken back over, squeeze lime over top, dusting the chili powder to finish until the chicken is at a temperature of 165F.
    • Please note: you can test one part and it may be 165F. However the part that you should test is the thickest, usually the part where the breast and the thigh connect.

Done.

  1. Comparison of adipose tissue cellularity in chicken lines divergently selected for fatnessPoultry Science, Volume 90, Issue 9, 1 September 2011, Pages 2024–2034

Recipe | The Porterhouse Steak | Weekly Wakeup

Dr. Borgardt's famous - Porterhouse Steak Recipe. Yes, it is finally spring here in Kalispell, Montana. I would like everyone who has a BBQ or a cast iron skillet to join me in cooking the best cut of meat, ever, the porterhouse steak. So lets get to it!

Ingredients

  • One - 2 inch or so porterhouse steak (preferably however if you end up getting more of a T Bone that is just fine)
  • Two - Table spoons of small grind quality salt (Preferably a salt that includes many salt types, usually Himalayan or sea salt is fine)
  • Pepper grinder to taste

Instructions

  1. Take the steak out on your counter, set on a rack and liberally coat it with all the salt you see. Yes, as Ron Swanson said "All". Let it set out for at least one hour. Unless you have flies or bugs hanging out in your house don't worry there is enough salt and not enough time for anything to start inoculating the meat causing any issues. If you do just put a bowl on top of it and give it an extra hour to come to room temperature.
    • The preparation goal is to do two things get the meat to room temp and to allow the salt to pull out proteins that when seared create a crust.
  2. Start BBQ 20 min before cooking whether its a coal or a gas we are looking for degrees if possible of more than 800F. If you are using gas, that means turning your gas on full. If you have neither then get the oven started to 475F and start a cast iron skillet 10 min on full flame to imitate the act of heat from the BBQ.
    • The goal here is to create a surface that will sear those proteins drawn out of the meat by the salt at room temperature.
  3. Sear both sides of the porterhouse steak over the hottest portion of the grill, covering the top for 90 seconds a side, no more, no less. In between the one flip that will occur - DO NOT TOUCH IT.
    • If your using coals, set them an area that is concentrated allowing an intensification of the heat. This also allows you to reserve the other area of your bbq to act as an oven.
    • The same concept is applicable for the gas, just turn off gas lines on the side where the steak is and turn down the one burner to medium / low to resemble an oven.
    • Using a cast iron skillet make sure that you have that thing almost smoking hot it will again take 10 min. When it is done on the second side place in the oven.
  4. Now here is where the argument happens. I like my steaks bloody rare. I take them off the grill at this point setting them on a butchers block and let rest for 10 min. Generally additional cooking times are going to vary for their doneness. However, if you go by this guideline of letting them rest in their respective oven types they are all equal.
    • 05 minutes of time in their respective oven type = Rare
    • 10 minutes of time in their respective oven type = Medium Rare (most common however not the most nutritional)
    • 15 minutes of time in their respective oven type = Medium (if you do this please don't show me a photo or talk about it to anyone you should be ashamed of yourself).
  5. Set on a wooden butchers block for 10 min. Do not use plastic. Plates and cookie sheets are acceptable.
    • I know you have heard this before; DO NOT TOUCH IT FOR THE NEXT 10 MIN. This is a resting period. If you cut through the meat prematurely, it will be like other things that are labeled with the same adjective; Null and void.

Done.