“I Trim off Any Thick Fat”: Woman Shares Step-by-Step Guide to Home-Made Biltong for Half the Cost

• A South African food content creator showed her simple method for making traditional biltong at home using 3kg of silverside, vinegar, Worcester sauce and biltong spice
• The woman revealed she makes biltong every 4-6 weeks with her kids as a Sunday afternoon activity
• The video went viral with over 24,000 reactions as viewers loved the cost-saving tip, though some disagreed with her method of trimming off thick fat

A South African woman has shared her easy method for making traditional biltong at home, proving you don't need to spend a fortune on store-bought versions. The video, posted by @justeasyrecipes on 5 October 2025, shows a simple step-by-step process that families can do together.

The content creator starts by explaining that her 10-year-old commented on how South African she sounds in the voiceover, which is fitting since the recipe is all about making traditional SA biltong. She makes a batch every 4-6 weeks, and her kids help out since they're the main ones eating it.

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She begins with about 3kg of silverside, trimming off any thick fat before slashing the meat into long strips about 4-6cm wide and 2-3cm thick. In one dish, she mixes 1.5 to 2 cups of white vinegar with half a cup of Worcester sauce. In another dish, she adds the biltong spice.

Each strip of beef gets dunked into the vinegar mix, then coated well in the spice. The pieces are then hung in a biltong box or cupboard with good ventilation, making sure the strips don't touch so they can move freely.

The drying process takes 3-7 days, depending on whether you like your biltong soft or firm. Once done, she slices it thinly against the grain and stores it in a paper bag or in the fridge. The best part? It's half the cost of store-bought biltong.

She uses a Mellerware biltong maker that costs about R400, describing it as basically just a box to hang biltong with a tiny fan. She says it makes a great gift, too.

SA shares biltong-making tips

Viewers had their own suggestions for improving the recipe:

@mrallie offered refinements:

"Good work. Allow me to refine your method. 1. Use rump for a higher-quality biltong. 2) The correct vinegar is brown, not white. 3) Marinate the strips in the mixture for a couple of hours so the meat absorbs the flavour. You're welcome!"

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@starfish_angelrn from the US asked:

"Is there another name for Silverside? I am in the US… And I'm not sure what to ask for when I order the meat. We made our own biltonginator/meat dehydrator…"

@_baatile disagreed with trimming:

"'I trim off any thick fat.' No thanks, keep it."

@lvit2f8th wondered:

"And if you wanna make spicy ball, tongue, do you just add the spice into your mix?"

@got_the_muncheese questioned:

"I can't believe the no-fat part, but what's in the spices, aunty?"

@juno_fonti appreciated:

"Thank you for sharing."

Why homemade biltong saves money

Content creator @justeasyrecipes highlighted an important point - making biltong at home costs half the price of buying it from shops. Store-bought biltong can be extremely expensive, especially for families who snack on it regularly.

By investing R400 in a simple biltong maker and buying the meat and spices yourself, you can produce large batches that last weeks. The process also becomes a fun family activity that teaches kids about traditional South African food preparation. Her method proves you don't need complicated equipment or techniques to make quality biltong at home.

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Watch the Instagram clip below:

Other SA food and culture stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a Cape Town man who schooled SA on the correct pronunciation of Worcestershire sauce, but what he compared the word to in the Nguni languages had people saying they'll never forget it.
• Stellenbosch University's cafeteria had SA talking after someone showed what's inside, but what people said the facilities were giving off had viewers stunned by the luxury.
• An American traveller explored Langa's street food scene in Cape Town, but what he tried at a local woman's home at the end of his journey had people wanting to know more about the traditional treat.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News