Bilton Review

EricTheRedBeard

EricTheRedBeard

Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
969
The very kind Mr. Bawanna gifted a villager Bilton to me. He only asked for me to give a report. This knife was named after the South African dried meat called Biltong. Bil (rump), tong (tongue or strip). I decided to try to make my own biltong to see how this knife can handle it.


Cut the meat and rub with vinegar and spices


Make some hooks

Hang the meat to dry in a cool place with moving air. Hang for 4-5 days. Maybe more if you want it very dry.

The biltong is ready to cut. In hand for size reference

I put a video review on YouTube to see it in action.
Forgive the poor quality.

I am very impressed to say the least. I'm happy that this one has the black forging scale left on the blade. I love when the forging scale is left on the blade. The knife did a surprisingly good job cutting through the meat and let me tell you, that meat was HARD to cut. I think I would have had a better time cutting through a truck tire. I wasn't a big fan of the Biltong(probably due to a bad recipe). This knife was used to peel a few potatoes and cut up carrots and onions to make some stew. The stew was pretty good.

I've said it before but, my mamma taught me if someone gives you a gift you should cherish it and never sell it or give it away. So this little one will stay with me for the long haul. Probably be my little camping buddy too. Thanks again Mr. B.

Biltong Stew
 
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I don't recall requiring a review but I'm awfully glad you did. The stew looks really good.
Juries still out on the Biltong. Kind of like sushi to me, like it really should be cooked ya know?
 
Bawanna said:
I don't recall requiring a review but I'm awfully glad you did. The stew looks really good.
Juries still out on the Biltong. Kind of like sushi to me, like it really should be cooked ya know?
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You didn't "require" me to. Just asked for me to let you know what I thought when I got it. To say thanks, giving a review was the least I could do. And you know, I always try to do the least I can do. I agree, uncooked meat is a little weird to me too. I ordered a bag of biltong so I could see what it is supposed to taste like. The stew was much better to me. If I try it again I will try to slice it more uniformly and let it dry for a few more days. I'll decide after I see what it is supposed to taste like.
 
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Sure looks good. What cut of meat do they use? Doooh! Rump i guess. Thats a cool little knife and the forge scale makes it even better. After that video im going to have to make me some of that! That would make a great knife for cutting up my smoked salmon too!
 
ndoghouse said:
Sure looks good. What cut of meat do they use? Doooh! Rump i guess. Thats a cool little knife and the forge scale makes it even better. After that video im going to have to make me some of that! That would make a great knife for cutting up my smoked salmon too!
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Great little knife. I stole Steely's idea and been tucking it in my boot(Bootkuri style). I kinda wish all my HI blades had the forging scale on them. I blued my AK Bowie because I use it for food so much it was getting a lot of little tarnish spots. I think people use many different cuts of beef to make it. I used a roast. I've read that people use steak too. I will give it another try after much more research and some premade Biltong spice. I might as well since I'm all set up for it. That was a dresser drawer on its side that I was hanging the meat from.
 
Ha! Now your sox and drawers are gonna smell like meat:D Stay away from dogs!

2b8989370abcace28e68d0d50a3e1acf


I suppose I could dry biltong in my dishwasher? I got a few more shelves in there now.
 
I tried some store bought biltong. It was much better than mine. Also cut much thinner. I think they mostly use steak too. I will give it another try and cut it much thinner.
ndoghouse said:
Ha! Now your sox and drawers are gonna smell like meat:D Stay away from dogs!

2b8989370abcace28e68d0d50a3e1acf


I suppose I could dry biltong in my dishwasher? I got a few more shelves in there now.
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That is an awesome smoker!
 
Ndog, cross between Inspector Gadget and McGyver, master of dumpster diving.
Would love to apprentice under the master for awhile and learn.
 
Maybe when I get tenured i can take an extra long vacation and come tutor ya for a while?

Hey Eric!
I bought me some biltong fixins today! Its your fault Eric! I couldn't find whole coriander seeds so i got some pickle spice which is mostly coriander anyway but has mustard, black pepper corns, cumino, bay leaves, and maybe a few other spices. Sounds like crab boil to me? Ill ad some more black pepper and ground coriander to it so i figure it should be pretty tasty. Ill also add some smoked Chihuahua sea salt to it since it dont have any salt. I had a few wisdom teeth pulled a few weeks ago so hope I still have enough teeth left to chew it down?
 
Bilton is a form of Jerkey that or "dried meat". To make good jerkey the first step is to remove all fat and silver skin or membrane. Then you cut it into widths no more then a 1/4 to 3/8,s of an inch thick. Wash all the meat in cold water a few times to remove excess fluid. Btw, the red liquid in meat is mostly Not blood. The in a pan deep enough to cover meat add water. Then add salt, add a lot of salt. Add about 3/4 Of a cup of kosher salt to the cold water and the stir it till resolved. I also add a fair amount of red pepper, about 1/8 cup, a good table spoon of sugar or 2 plus I add some Vietnamese fish sauce. About a 1/4 cup. Gives it a flavor that people won't recognize but it's really unique and interesting. Now add the meat, cover and soak for at least 24 hours. After soak rinse the meat at least 3 times squeezing out the liquid. Paper towel it until dry. Don't add wet meat to the drying process of your choice. I use a dehydrator cause they are cheap. Add meat in layers and do NOT let it touch any other pieces next to it . Put machine on High and walk away. If you have made it before re.ing the women folk to keep out of it !! Its that good. Let it dry for 30 hours. It's going to be dry but it's great. Try and get some before the horde
Gets it.
 
gtk4158a said:
Bilton is a form of Jerkey that or "dried meat". To make good jerkey the first step is to remove all fat and silver skin or membrane. Then you cut it into widths no more then a 1/4 to 3/8,s of an inch thick. Wash all the meat in cold water a few times to remove excess fluid. Btw, the red liquid in meat is mostly Not blood. The in a pan deep enough to cover meat add water. Then add salt, add a lot of salt. Add about 3/4 Of a cup of kosher salt to the cold water and the stir it till resolved. I also add a fair amount of red pepper, about 1/8 cup, a good table spoon of sugar or 2 plus I add some Vietnamese fish sauce. About a 1/4 cup. Gives it a flavor that people won't recognize but it's really unique and interesting. Now add the meat, cover and soak for at least 24 hours. After soak rinse the meat at least 3 times squeezing out the liquid. Paper towel it until dry. Don't add wet meat to the drying process of your choice. I use a dehydrator cause they are cheap. Add meat in layers and do NOT let it touch any other pieces next to it . Put machine on High and walk away. If you have made it before re.ing the women folk to keep out of it !! Its that good. Let it dry for 30 hours. It's going to be dry but it's great. Try and get some before the horde
Gets it.
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Dang! I already got it going before I read this. I just wiped with vinegar, and season with a mix of coriander, salt, pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, and onion powder. I let it marinate in the fridge for a day. I already have it hanging now. I'll have to try it your way next time. Where did you get the recipe?

 
Fish sauce sound great on it! I bought some meat to make some but my wife fed it to the dogs before I could get to it! Ill try again later:rolleyes:
 
ndoghouse said:
Fish sauce sound great on it! I bought some meat to make some but my wife fed it to the dogs before I could get to it! Ill try again later:rolleyes:
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I do love me some fish sauce! This is my 3rd batch so far. My first was not very good. I used a tough roast and way too much seasoning. I also cut it too thick. The second time I used thin cut steaks and a new spice recipe. It was all devoured the day it was ready. After my second attempt I've become a big fan. Its very easy, doesn't make a mess, and it has a taste like nothing else I've ever had. The current batch should be done in a couple days. I'll let you know how it turns out. The new fish sauce method seems a bit more complicated but next time I'll give it a try.
 
Bilton soup looks delicious!
Recipe?
 
The trick to good jerky is make sure you don't have fat in the meat and to Rinse the meat after at least a day of soaking it 3 or 4 times squeezing the meat and then completely towel drying it. Don't worry about over squeezing it you will still get the flavor. The dried meat in and by itself has a great taste. If you can get some deer meat or even buffalo it is the perfect meat for it.
 
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