Dr Biltong says you’re doing it wrong! This PhD shares some of her secrets

(Image: iStock)

Maxine Jones, a student from Stellenbosch University has made history by being the first person to get a professional doctorate in the study of biltong. Yes, we know – how cool?! Read the full story on News24.

As you might imagine, this is big news. Not only for those of us that love biltong but for the actual delicacy itself – as now (after over a year of research and testing), the young 27-year-old has landed on a scientifically proven recipe to make the best biltong.

South Africa salutes you, Maxine!

Of course she can’t share the secret recipe but she did tell us what common mistake people make when trying to make their own biltong at home.

“I think many people don’t spice the biltong for long enough. The meat needs time to absorb the spices so that you get flavoursome biltong. I also feel that sometimes consumers don’t consider the weather when drying their biltong. This affects the drying as the humidity and temperature play a role when drying biltong at home”.

When asked about the best way to store biltong, Maxine says, “I recommend to not store it in the fridge if the biltong is in any form of packaging. This affects the quality of the biltong and also increases the risk of mould growth. Consumers should store biltong in moderate temperatures and not be afraid to leave it as is. This however is dependent on various factors.”

Many of us enjoy biltong in a variety of foods like biltong sandwiches, biltong salads and even biltong quiches but not Maxine… “A nice fatty moist piece of beef biltong is my usual choice. I don’t think I will ever get sick of it. After working with it for so long I feel if I am not sick of it yet, I probably will never be.”

Have a biltong craving coming on? Check out these 10 Biltong recipes that will make you feel proudly South African