Review: Mellerware Biltong Maker
Me: “I made biltong”
Friend: “What do you mean you made biltong?”
Me: “I mean that I literally made biltong, from scratch.”
Friend: “Where?”
Me: “In my kitchen!”
Friend: “… you did what?”
Making biltong is definitely not something I thought I’d be doing in my small kitchen in the middle of the city. I was very skeptical at first, but the experience from the moment I opened the Mellerware Biltong King’s box until I enjoyed the first piece of my homemade biltong was so ridiculously easy that it was almost hard to believe.
Assembling the Biltong King
For some or other reason I never immediately follow assembly instructions when putting something together, eventually having to give up and reach for the manual but this maker was assembled and ready for use within 10 minutes. The only thing that required a little legwork was going out to buy a 40-watt light bulb, which isn’t included. The machine is also really lightweight, so it’s easy to put together and move around.
Construction, quality & finish
The machine’s construction is really simple and it’s made up of quality components which should last very long with the correct care.
Instructions
The manual covers everything you’ll need to know about making biltong or droëwors. The clearly outlined sections include set up instructions, cleaning and safety guidelines, recipes and tips for success. Clear, concise and easy to follow – I didn’t feel the need to Google once (which is strange).
Making the biltong
Making the biltong was a breeze. Any good butcher will be able to help in selecting the best cut of meat and slicing it into the correct shape and size (the instruction manual gives good direction on this) and once your meat is ready it is as simple as placing the meat in a bowl or tray with 1 cup of vinegar (making sure to cover all the meat), draining off the excess vinegar and sprinkling the meat with biltong spice, leaving to refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, hanging the meat from the hooks provided and switching on. Get a step by step recipe for making biltong.
The best part is that you’ll be munching on the end product within 2 or 3 days. The Biltong King can also be used to make droëwors and dried fruit or herbs. Everyone loves a multi-tasker.
Using the machine
Sound | The machine is really quiet! I was expecting a constant drone, but it’s barely noticeable.
Appearance | The Biltong King is neat and more compact than you’d expect a biltong maker to be, so it isn’t an eyesore in the kitchen or wherever else you plan to place it. The clear Perspex panel also allows you to keep an eye on your biltong’s progress without having to lift the lid.
Cleaning | The first word that comes to mind when you think of making biltong is probably ‘mess’. This really isn’t the case and the cleaning process is similar to that of sorting the kitchen out after making a quick weeknight meal.
Compact | If space is as much of a luxury for you as it is for me, you’ll love the fact that the Biltong King can be taken apart when you’re not using it and stored flat in a box that will easily fit into a kitchen cupboard.
Spice | The folks at Mellerware are kind of enough to include a packet of complimentary biltong spice in the box, so if you don’t feel confident enough to experiment with spice mixes on your first attempt, this is great and makes the end result really taste authentic. Here is a recipe for biltong spice, if you’d prefer to make your own.
The end result really is super pro – after handing out a few tasters, ordering more has been mentioned by some. I’m not so sure how I feel about a career in selling biltong, but the value for money factor can’t be overlooked if you compare the price of the machine versus what you pay for a kilogram of biltong nowadays.
All in all, this machine is a keeper and it’s changed my view on the biltong-making process for good.
Get a step by step recipe for making biltong and check out the Mellerware Biltong Maker and Food Dehydrator.