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It’s a progressive move that will allow us to cater for the increasing consumer demand for Kings Biltong. New World Foods Europe managing director Roland Froebel added: “We were tremendously impressed when we met Charlie, not just in the product itself, but with his passion, drive and vision for King’s Biltong. He will be a great addition to the team we’re building at New World Foods Europe. Yorkshire, UK-based sports nutrition brand, Kings Biltong, has been acquired by New World Foods Europe.
Biltong was originally created by Dutch pioneers in South Africa, “Voortrekkers”, who needed reliable food sources on their long treks across the continent. The method and spice mix hasn’t changed much in hundreds of years, but a few variations have appeared recently, like ‘piri piri’ biltong and the use of additional ingredients like worcestershire sauce and dried chillies. Curing process We were tremendously impressed when we met Charlie, not just in the product itself, but with his passion, drive and vision for Kings Biltong,” said Froebel. “He will be a great addition to the team we’re building at New World Foods Europe. It wasn’t always this way for Kings Biltong, however, their excellent looking wares are as a result of a recent rebranding process steered by the skilled hand of the Leeds based, Robot Food, who in one fell and creative swoop have instantly made the product of biltong a good deal more appealing to us.
What is Biltong?
New World Foods Europe current UK product range portfolio includes Mariani Soft Beef Jerky, Bare Earth biltong and also caters for numerous customer branded products. The deal is the perfect fit for Kings Biltong; New World Foods Europe share our ethos for producing high quality, great tasting products and with its manufacturing experience together we can take Kings Biltong to the next level." New World Foods Europe’s current UK product range portfolio includes Mariani Soft Beef Jerky and Bare Earth biltong and also caters for numerous customer branded products.
Some recipes call for the addition of bicarbonate of soda. This might seem a little odd, but it has scientific reasoning. The bicarb neutralises the acid in the vinegar, but also acts as a meat tenderiser. It slows the contraction of the proteins, leaving the final product still dry, but less tough. Bicarb has a pretty unpleasant taste, so it’s important to keep the quantity low. If you’re using a good cut like silverside or toprump, you won’t need it at all. Cutting methods Biltong slices cut with a sharp knife Flakey Sea Salt - we tested 2%, 2.5% and 3% salt (w/w) during our recipe development and highly recommend falling somewhere in the 2.25-2.5% salt. We also tested coarse salt vs flakey sea salt and flakey sea salt won. Why? because it grinds down easier in the mortar and pestle which lends to an evenly seasoned piece of meat. I like my biltong a little tough, but still wet in the middle. Some like theirs tough like old leather. Getting it right is down to trial and error. The easiest way to measure dryness is with your fingers. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands, and squeeze the flattest sides of the meat in with your fingers. If there is any give in the meat, there’s still moisture in the middle. Most likely, what you’re looking for is a really tough consistency with just a little bit of give. Leave it too long and you’ll have some tooth-bustingly tough biltong on your hands. That said, it’s fairly forgiving and a day or two over won’t do too much harm. Wet biltong – a slight crust and still wet in the middle
The agreement with New World Foods Europe, for an undisclosed sum, will further support the growth of the Kings Biltong brand with the aim to secure nationwide grocery listings to become the No1 brand in the UK biltong and jerky market. We’re thrilled to have shaken hands with Roland and the team at New World Foods Europe,” said Simpson-Daniel. “It’s a progressive move that will allow us to cater for the increasing consumer demand for Kings Biltong. If you’ve ever tried cutting over-dried biltong, you’ll know how tough it can be—tough as old boots! In desperation, I’ve taken to resting a knife on top of some over-dried biltong and hitting it with a camping mallet (not recommended, and not only because I upset the neighbours and smashed the chopping board!). There are a lot of creative, almost ceremonial devices on cutting biltong, but I think nothing beats a good, sharp knife. If you want something a little more fancy, there are biltong cutters (a board with a hinged knife attached), biltong knives (traditional knives made for purpose), hand crank mechanical cutters, and at the high end, expensive elecric cutters, mostly used by butchers and biltong suppliers. Dealing with mould Following the deal, New World Foods Europe will integrate the production of Malton-based Kings Biltong into its York headquarters where the biltong brand will benefit from its facilities, significantly growing its current business output and increasing the existing range into the jerky category.
New World Foods Europe would integrate the production of Malton-based Kings Biltong into its York headquarters, boosting its output and taking it into the jerky category, Kings Biltong confirmed in a statement. Here are some notes on the ingredients used in this recipe. Please see the recipe card for quantities.
So, as a self-professed Biltong expert, here are my choices for the best Biltong you can buy in the UK! This comes down to personal preference. It’s important to note that, while your biltong will shrink by around half the size when dried, the fat doesn’t shrink at the same rate as the muscle. I like a little fat because it helps carry flavour, but I tend to remove most of it before hanging. Large chunks of fat can be a little unpleasant to deal with when eating biltong. Biltong ingredients Opinions vary on curing methods, spice mixes and drying conditions, and there is a lot of misinformation around, so trial and error has been my friend. Some recipes call for several stages of curing and washing off spices, reapplying them, etc—this is not necessary. I don’t like to throw away good spices, so I coat once, leave to cure in the fridge, pat dry, then hang with no additional stages. Why wash off and waste all that good flavour? It’s easy to over-salt biltong, making it almost unbearable to eat in bigger quantities (let’s face it, who’s going to only eat a little biltong?), and too much salt can leave a burning sensation, so many recipes call for the salt to be washed off with a water/vinegar solution. My answer? Use less salt! Vinegar does a perfectly good job of sterilising the meat without mountains of salt. The salt is an excellent flavour enhancer and should definitely be included—just a little less to avoid the need for washing. Temperature and airflow
Kings Biltong said the agreement, for an undisclosed sum, would further support the growth of its brand as it aims to become the top brand in the UK biltong and jerky market. As part of the contract Kings Biltong will also receive a full brand refresh which will be supported by a fully integrated marketing campaign, including PR, advertising and social media, led by Kings Biltong director Charlie Simpson-Daniel and New World Foods Europe managing director Roland Froebel. After your biltong has dried to your preferred consistency, you can continue to store it hanging in a well aerated space indefinitely. Shops that sell biltong will often hang it and leave it out, and these are ample storage conditions—just try to make sure none of the pieces are touching. It will continue to dry slowly, but it will also keep for a long time this way. If you’ve cut your biltong and want to store it, wrap it in a few paper bags and store it in the fridge. The paper will allow excess moisture to continue leaving the meat, discouraging mould growth. I can’t give accurate advice on how long to store it this way, but I think it’s safe to say that no sane person is going to leave biltong uneaten for more than a few days. It’s just too delicious! Case hardening Note - if you are looking for high-quality local sea salt in New Zealand, I highly recommend Opito Bay Salt! Traditionally, brown vinegar has been used to make biltong. It really has a recognisable flavour. Some recipes call for balsamic or cider vinegar. I recommend brown vinegar for the best flavour, with cider vinegar coming in a close second. I’ve used cider vinegar a lot, purely because I have a large batch I made at home. SaltVinegar - we tested both malt and red wine vinegar, both make really good biltong. The malt vinegar has a more neutral flavour while the red wine vinegar really stands out as a separate flavour profile. Kings Biltong director Charlie Simpson-Daniel said: "We’re thrilled to have shaken hands with Roland and the team at New World Foods Europe. Beef - typically the beef used for biltong comes from the round (as seen in the diagram above), this is also known as silverside or topside. However tenderloins, sirloin and rump can also be used.
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