Biltong and jerky a growing market for meat lovers
It’s been a staple in South Africa and America for generations, now biltong and jerky is making its mark in Australia. Meet the Victorian producers bringing the delicacies to life.
THINK dried, cured meat and salami or prosciutto come to mind.
But there’s a growing trend around rural Victoria for jerky and biltong — meat that is cut into strips and dehydrated as a ready-to-eat snack.
In South Gippsland, Johan Swanepoel started making Auswan Biltong last year, out of a shipping container on his business partner’s 120ha Angus farm in Trafalgar South.
Johan says when he arrived in Australia from South Africa in 2013, he was surprised to find no biltong.
“Biltong comes from South Africa and was made as a way to preserve meat before refrigeration,” Johan says.
“My grandparents and parents have always made it.
“I grew up with it, eating it while watching the rugby, fishing, or hiking, and we also use it for breakfast instead of bacon, with eggs, or make biltong pizza.
“But it has come very late to Australia.
“It’s in its early stages here.”
The 61-year-old sources prime cuts from the Angus herd, as well as a Trafalgar butcher, each week transforming 450kg of fresh meat into 100kg of dried biltong.
Using centuries-old family recipes, he marinates it for up to 24 hours, then air dries it in a biltong dryer at 20-30C for up to six days.
Auswan Biltong has three flavours: traditional, mild chilli and hot chilli, sold in 50g pouches ($7.50) in IGAs and Foodworks from Melbourne to Gippsland.
Johan says biltong uses meat cut with the grain, has a soft, tender texture, and a shelf life up to a year, although he’s trialling extending that to two years.
In contrast, he says, jerky has its origins in the US, is cooked in an oven at high heat, is usually cut across the grain, has a chewy texture and a longer shelf life.
Johan believes there are fewer than 10 biltong manufacturers in Australia, but many more jerky producers.
Just a couple of those include Nive Beef Jerky — made on a 13,700ha farm in the Augathella region of southwest Queensland — through to FATV Jerky in North Geelong.
Since the start of this year, Lucy O’Dwyer and her husband Jesse Rios have made jerky from their Porepunkah Rail Trail Cafe, in North East Victoria, as a way to value-add in the wake of the high country bushfires.
“Some people don’t know what to expect, but we’re getting a growing following,” Lucy says.
“When you eat it you get a mouthful of flavour and texture.
“I keep some in my purse and a nibble keeps me satisfied for hours. Typically, though, it’s eaten camping, hiking, mountain biking, or just watching the footy with mates.”
Their Punkah Delights meat is sourced from Grass Roots Beef in Holbrook or Tarra Tender Cuts in Tarrawingee, sliced thinly, marinated for up to 10 hours, then dehydrated for a further 10 hours.
Jesse, who has a Mexican-American background, grew up making jerky.
He cooks it in the cafe in three flavours: smoky barbecue, sweet cracked pepper or chilli, each sold in 50g ($12) or 100g ($22) vacuum-sealed packs.
Lucy says they have sold the jerky in the cafe for the past five years, but decided to value-add online and at markets after bushfires closed their cafe for most of January — usually their busiest month.
Then, with the outbreak of coronavirus, and the cafe selling takeaway for much of the year, the couple have found the jerky has enabled them to not only stay afloat, but prosper.
“We first sold it in Melbourne at a bushfire recovery event for the high country and East Gippsland, and it sold out so quickly.
“Now we’re selling through Click for Vic, and it’s got big potential to take off.”
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