The Best Cut of Meat for Biltong: A Complete Cuts Guide
By the Claasens team, makers of South African biltong slicers since 1955.
Ask ten biltong makers what cut they use and you will get five answers, three opinions, and at least one strong feeling. The truth is that there is no single right answer. Several cuts make excellent biltong. A few make poor biltong. A few more are perfectly fine but not worth what they cost. This guide goes through every cut you are likely to find at a South African butcher and tells you, plainly, what each one is good for.
If you want the master recipe, see our complete biltong guide. This article is about the meat.
The four traditional cuts
These are the cuts that any South African butcher will recognise as biltong cuts.
Silverside
The default and, for our money, still the best. Silverside is the outer muscle of the beef leg, lying just beneath the skin and the external fat cap. It is lean with one thin sheet of natural fat across the top, the muscle fibres are long and straight, and it cures and dries beautifully. A 2 kg silverside is enough for a household batch and slices into long, even sticks. If you have never made biltong before, start with silverside.
Topside
Sits above the silverside, separated by a sheet of fat. Slightly leaner, slightly milder in flavour, slightly more uniform in shape. Topside is the cut to use if you find silverside too rich or if you want very lean biltong. The texture is almost identical to silverside once it is dried.
Sirloin
The cut along the back of the cow, just above the rump. More expensive than silverside or topside. Moderate marbling, deeper beef flavour, finer grain. Sirloin makes premium biltong and is worth doing when the budget allows, but it is not better than silverside in any meaningful way for everyday use.
Eye of round
A long, cylindrical muscle that sits beside the silverside in the hindquarter. Very lean, very uniform, slices into perfect oval medallions. Eye of round is the cut commercial biltong stands use when they want consistent retail packaging. Slightly drier finish than silverside. Excellent for thin biltong slices.
Game cuts
Game makes some of the best biltong on the planet. The cuts mirror beef but the meat is leaner and the flavour is deeper.
Kudu silverside
The single best biltong cut in our experience. Long, straight grain. Just enough natural fat. A flavour that beef simply cannot match. If a kudu silverside crosses your path, do not turn it into wors. Make biltong. See our kudu biltong guide for the method.
Springbok and impala
Smaller animals, so smaller cuts. The silverside and topside both make excellent biltong. The flavour is more delicate than kudu and benefits from a slightly heavier hand on the coriander.
Gemsbok and eland
Large game, similar size to kudu cuts. Eland is richer and slightly fattier. Gemsbok is similar to kudu in flavour but coarser in grain. Both make superb biltong.
Wildebeest, blesbok, hartebeest
Workable but less rewarding. Wildebeest and hartebeest can run gamey if the carcass is not hung correctly. Blesbok is fine but lacks the depth of the larger antelopes. We would prioritise these for wors and droëwors rather than biltong.
Cheaper cuts that work
Brisket
The cheap cut that overdelivers. Brisket has a high fat content, which gives intensely flavoured biltong but requires longer cure and more vinegar to handle the fat. Slice across the grain or it will be chewy. Excellent for fatty biltong lovers. Trim the deep fat first.
Chuck
Front shoulder. Workable but the multiple muscles in chuck run in different directions, which makes slicing inconsistent. Better turned into mince for wors. If you do biltong it, separate the chuck into single muscles before curing.
Round (knuckle)
The small lean muscle on the front of the hindleg. Smaller sticks but very lean and even. A good budget option when you want lean biltong on a tight wallet.
Cuts to avoid
Rump
Too tender. Rump steak is for eating fresh, not for drying. The grain is too fine to give satisfying biltong texture and the price is too high to justify the result.
Fillet
An expensive mistake. Fillet shrinks badly during drying and gives a dry, mealy result. Save the fillet for the pan.
Shin and oxtail
Too much connective tissue. Biltong needs lean muscle that dries cleanly. Connective tissue does not break down during drying and will leave you chewing on rubber bands.
How to ask your butcher
South African butchers are biltong literate. Use these exact terms.
- "A whole silverside, please, with the fat cap on." For traditional biltong.
- "A whole silverside, trimmed." For lean biltong.
- "Topside, in one piece if you can." For uniform sticks.
- "Two kilos of biltong cut from the silverside." If you want the butcher to do the first slicing for you.
If your butcher does not have what you want on the shelf, ask. Most will cut for you while you wait. Building a relationship with one butcher is worth more than chasing the cheapest cut across three shops.
How much to buy
Biltong loses about 40 to 50 percent of its weight during drying. So 1 kg of fresh meat gives roughly 500 to 600 g of finished biltong. Plan backwards from how much you want to eat.
| Fresh meat | Finished biltong | Lasts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kg | 500 to 600 g | About 2 weeks for a household of 4 |
| 2 kg | 1 to 1.2 kg | A month, with snacking |
| 5 kg | 2.5 to 3 kg | Stocks the freezer for 6 months |
A hand biltong slicer handles up to about 5 kg comfortably. Larger batches benefit from an electric slicer.
FAQ
What is the best beef cut for biltong?
Silverside is the default and the best place to start. Topside is a close second. Sirloin makes premium biltong but is not noticeably better than silverside for the price.
Is silverside or topside better for biltong?
Silverside has slightly more fat and richer flavour. Topside is leaner and milder. For traditional biltong, silverside. For lean biltong, topside.
Can I make biltong from rump?
You can, but it is a waste of money. Rump is too tender for biltong and dries to a mealy texture. Use rump for steak.
What is the cheapest cut for biltong?
Brisket. It needs a longer cure and more vinegar to handle the fat, but it gives intensely flavoured biltong for a fraction of the cost of silverside.
Can I use frozen meat for biltong?
Yes, as long as you thaw it fully in the fridge before starting the cure. Half-frozen meat does not absorb salt evenly.
How much meat does a household biltong batch need?
A 2 kg piece is enough for most households. It gives about 1 kg of finished biltong, which lasts a family of four around a month.
About Claasens
The Claasens family has been making biltong slicers in South Africa since 1955. We have processed more silverside in the workshop than we can count. If you have a question that is not answered above, our workshop is a phone call away.