How to Make Kudu Biltong: A South African Hunter’s Guide
By the Claasens team, makers of South African biltong slicers since 1955.
Kudu biltong is, in our view, the closest thing to perfect biltong you can make at home. The meat is naturally lean, the flavour is deep without being livery, and the silverside on a mature bull yields long, beautiful sticks that slice into glossy ovals. If you have a kudu in the cold room and you have been wondering how to turn it into biltong, this is the guide.
The method here is adapted from our complete biltong guide for the specific quirks of game meat. The base recipe is the same. The handling, the cure, and the spice all need small adjustments to give game its best showing.
Why kudu makes great biltong
Three reasons. First, kudu is naturally lean. The silverside on a kudu has a thin fat cap and very little intramuscular fat, which means it cures cleanly and dries without becoming greasy. Second, the muscle fibres are long and run straight, which gives the slicer a clean cut without tearing. Third, the flavour is rich and earthy in a way that beef cannot match, which spice carries beautifully.
The same applies to a lesser extent for eland, gemsbok, and other large antelope. Springbok and impala have shorter muscle fibres and a more delicate flavour, but they also make excellent biltong with the right adjustments. For breakdown instructions, see our home butchery guide.
Choose the right cut
For kudu biltong, in order of preference.
- Silverside. The classic biltong cut on any animal. Long, lean, with an external fat cap. The default.
- Topside. A close second. Slightly leaner, slightly milder.
- Back strap (loin). Cut lengthways into long thin sticks for premium, almost beef carpaccio style biltong.
- Leg muscles. The four main hindleg muscles all make good biltong. They are smaller, so you end up with shorter sticks.
What you do not want for biltong is the shoulder or the neck. Those go to mince and droëwors. Trim and bone go to wors. Nothing on a kudu carcass is wasted.
Sinew and silver skin
Game has more silver skin than beef. This is the thin, pale connective tissue that runs along the surface of muscles. Trim it off carefully before you start the cure. Silver skin does not break down during curing and gives a tough, rubbery finish that ruins the slice.
The kudu biltong cure
The cure is almost identical to the standard beef recipe, with two small changes. We use slightly less salt because game is leaner and absorbs salt faster. We use a little extra vinegar because game has a more pronounced flavour that vinegar tames.
| Ingredient | Per kg of kudu |
|---|---|
| Coarse rock salt | 35 g |
| Coriander seed (toasted, lightly crushed) | 20 g |
| Black peppercorns (cracked) | 5 g |
| Brown sugar | 10 g |
| Bicarbonate of soda | 2 g |
| Brown grape vinegar | 70 ml |
| Worcestershire sauce (optional) | 15 ml |
| Ground cloves (optional, Karoo style) | 1 g |
Step by step
- Trim. Remove silver skin and any visible sinew from the silverside or topside. Trim the fat cap to about 5 mm if you like fatty biltong, or remove it entirely for lean sticks.
- Cut with the grain. Cut the meat into strips 3 to 4 cm thick, along the grain. Kudu has straight fibres, so the cut is easy to see.
- First vinegar. Toss the strips in half the brown vinegar. Leave for 10 minutes.
- Salt cure. Drain. Mix the salt, sugar, and bicarbonate of soda. Work into every surface. Pack into a non reactive bowl and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Game cures faster than beef, so do not go longer.
- Rinse. Cold running water, briefly. Drain.
- Second vinegar. Toss in the remaining vinegar. This is the step that tames the gaminess.
- Spice. Press the toasted coriander and pepper onto every surface. Add a brush of Worcestershire and the optional cloves if you are going Karoo.
- Hang. Pierce one end of each strip with a paper clip or biltong hook. Hang in a biltong box or well ventilated area. Strips must not touch each other.
Drying kudu biltong
Game biltong dries slightly faster than beef because the meat is leaner. Most kudu biltong is ready at 3 to 4 days in a biltong box, or 4 to 5 days in highveld winter conditions. The squeeze test still applies. Slight give in the centre is classic medium. Firm all the way through is dry. Yielding is wet.
If you are drying in a humid coastal climate, a box with a small fan is essential. See our drying table in the main biltong guide for climate specific times.
Slicing kudu biltong
Kudu silverside slices beautifully on any of our biltong machines. The long, straight grain runs perpendicular to the blade, which gives you wide, glossy slices with a clean dark edge. A hand slicer handles a household batch comfortably. For larger quantities, an electric slicer is the right tool.
Always slice across the grain. Kudu fibres are tougher than beef, so going with the grain when you eat will give you a chewy result.
Springbok and impala variations
The same method works for springbok and impala with two adjustments. Reduce the cure time to 2 to 3 hours because the meat is smaller and absorbs salt faster. Reduce the drying time by a day or two. Springbok has a delicate, almost lamb like flavour and benefits from a slightly heavier hand on the coriander. Impala is the leanest of the three and dries fastest.
FAQ
How long does kudu biltong take to dry?
Three to five days in a biltong box. Up to a week in cooler ambient conditions. Game dries about a day faster than beef because the meat is leaner.
Can I make biltong from a freshly shot kudu?
No. The carcass needs to hang for 7 to 14 days at 1 to 4 °C before butchering. Cutting biltong from a fresh carcass gives tough, chewy results because the muscle has not yet relaxed out of rigor.
What is the best part of a kudu for biltong?
The silverside on the hindleg. Topside is a close second. The back strap, cut lengthways into thin sticks, makes premium biltong.
Do I need to add fat to kudu biltong?
No. Kudu has enough natural fat to give biltong character. If you prefer fatty biltong, leave the external fat cap on. If you want very lean, trim it off.
Is kudu biltong gamier than beef biltong?
Slightly. The extra vinegar in the cure tames most of the difference. A well made kudu biltong has more depth than beef, not more gaminess.
About Claasens
The Claasens family has been making biltong slicers and meat processing equipment in South Africa since 1955. We have processed a fair amount of kudu over the decades. If you have a question that is not answered above, our workshop is a phone call away.