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Pheasant Biltong fitness snack, 5 reasons you absolutely need to try

If you’re into working out you need to check out our pheasant biltong fitness snack great for muscle building because it’s low in fat and packed FULL of protein.   In our recent blog, we revealed some surprising Pheasant Biltong taste results. 57% of people said that after having tried our pheasant biltong fitness snack, they prefered it to the beef biltong. Proving that not only is our pheasant biltong great tasting, it also packs great health benefits. The key to great fitness snacks is usually having something that’s high in protein and low in carbohydrates (depending on your sporting needs) and ideally something that can give you slow-burning energy. 5 reasons to try our Pheasant Biltong fitness snack - Low in fat, pheasant mean only has between 4-5g of fat per 100g  - High in protein, as well as significant levels of B vitamins and potassium  - Low in salt, and no sugar (or none in our product) - No added rubbish, our recipe uses just a few natural ingredients - It’s light, bloody tasty and lasts for ages Fat is important in the athlete’s diet as it provides essential energy, as well as important fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids. However, it should be eaten in moderation. Eating food that includes fat is one way for athletes to meet their energy needs and improve performance. Our pheasant biltong fitness snack contains just the right amount of fat and leaves you feeling full but not bloated. Read the full article

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Our #1 Pheasant Biltong recipe, an authentic South African snack

If you’re looking for an authentic pheasant biltong recipe you’re in the right place. This biltong recipe will give you succulent and tender birdtong – every time! You can pick up pheasant meat from any goo local butcher or online, but it needs to be in season. This is from around October to February. I’ve spent most of my life enjoying Biltong and spent the last few years experimenting with different biltong recipes and ingredients. In a similar way to winemaking, with just a few good quality ingredients you can achieve loads of variable flavours. If you're not 100% sure if you’ll like it, GO ON! Give it a try. Or check out our last blog on the pheasant biltong taste, 3 surprising results from a tasting event. Pheasant Biltong recipe and process Authentic Pheasant Biltong recipe This delicate pheasant birdtong recipe includes red-wine vinegar plus a blend of spices including salt, pepper, paprika and roasted coriander seeds. Pheasant is white meat like chicken but it’s leaner with a soft game taste. - Sharp knife - Pestle and Mortar - Biltong Box (see our blog on how to make one) Meat- 1 kg Pheasant breast meat whole.  (IMPORTANT: do not slice or section the breast meat because this will make it dry out) - 1 tbsp black pepper coarsely ground - 1 tbsp course Cornish Sea Salt  (DO NOT USE cheap fine salt) - 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika - 2 tbsp coriander seeds roasted and coarsely ground - 50 ml worcestershire sauce - 50 ml  red wine vinegar - Toast the coriander seeds in a dry wide pan for 2-3min or until golden brown, this unlocks their FULL flavour. - Crush the coriander seeds in a Pestle and Mortar. Add the other spices and mix together. - Coat the meat with the marranade or use a basting brus, hbut make sure it's well covered - Sprinkle the spice mix over both sides of the meat pushing it into the meat with your fingers or a spoon. - Cover the meat and let it cure for 12-24 hours in the fridge, turning the meat once or twice. This is the curing process and also helps make your meat lekker tender! - Hang and dry your meat (paper clips can work well) either in a biltong box or a dehydrator. It’s really important that you make sure none of the meat is touching. - Now leave it somewhere safe and let the magic hapen. It should be ready within 3-5 days, a dehydrator is usually a bit quicker. Appetizer, Snackafrican, south africanbiltong, pheasant biltong Read the full article

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Pheasant Biltong taste, 3 surprising results from a tasting event

A pheasant Biltong taste is hard to describe, but our pheasant birdtong is made with fresh wild Devon birds dried and cured with red-wine vinegar plus a blend of spices including salt, pepper, paprika and roasted coriander seeds. It’s a similar recipe to our beef biltong, but pheasant is white meat like chicken but it’s leaner with a soft game taste. While chicken is and always will be the most popular bird meat in the world, there was a time (a long time ago) when pheasant was at the centre of most British roast dinners. When cooked right its sweet and earthy flavour is magical. In modern-day British cooking has mostly fallen out of favour because it is easy to ruin it. This discussion thread on what pheasant tastes like is a great example of how it has a bit of a love-hate relationship and usually splits opinions In my previous blog The rise of Pheasant game biltong, I explain some of the reasons why I love this bird. I’m personally addicted to the pheasant biltong taste, but because pheasant meat has a kinda negative reputation. I was expecting people to not really like it, this is what I found. Pheasant Biltong taste event survey results Just before the first lockdown in March ‘20, we ran a free biltong tasting event with a great mix of folks some of them not had never tried biltong. It was a really fun way of trying out some new biltong products and getting some clear feedback on some of the variations I was trying at the time. Out of all the biltong meat and flavour variations I put out for people to try that day. I was most interested in the results that come in for the pheasant biltong taste. Here are three of the most surprising results: - 51% of people who had tasted pheasant said they don’t normally like the taste of pheasant game. (this is usually because it’s hung for too long) - 83% of people who tried the pheasant biltong said it tasted way better than they expected and couldn’t fault its flavour or texture - 57% of people said that after having tried the pheasant biltong, they prefered it to the beef biltong The best kind of feedback is when people tell you what they either don’t like or what can be improved. Have you heard of THE MOM TEST? They say you shouldn't ask your mom whether your business is a good idea, because she loves you and will lie to you. On that note, if you’ve tried our products and you have feedback for us, we’d love to hear from you. Read the full article

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The rise of Pheasant game biltong, 4 reasons why you need to try

I’m always surprised by peoples reactions when trying pheasant game biltong for the first time. It is usually always positive. I especially love this from people who either don’t normally like pheasant meat or typically tend to find it too gamey.  Right now, our pheasant game biltong is not yet as popular as our beef biltong, but it’s catching up. Popularity is doubling year on year. I think that part of the reason for this is that the UK taste palette is evolving, people are getting more adventurous. Trying new things and bigger flavours. Check out this blog on different types of game biltong in the UK. Here are 4 big reasons why I think pheasant game biltong is going to be the next BIG thing When I first started experimenting with making pheasant game biltong I never expected it to taste so good. It really does give beef biltong a run for its money. I actually now prefer pheasant game biltong over beef, just slightly. But the ideal is enjoying them together side by side with a bowl of olives, some crips and an ice-cold beer. Here are my BIG 4 personal reason why I LOVE BIRDTONG - It’s cheaper than beef, fact. This isn’t necessarily my top reason, but packing more bites per £ means more to enjoy - Not only super healthy but also a great hit of protein, good for the ‘not quite’ 6-pack    - A great game taste without the overkill game taste, light but FULL of flavour - Sustainability is really important to me. Most of these birds would have been shot and discarded. Now they are celebrated in a tasty pheasant game biltong snack Pheasant shooting is a really popular sport all over the UK, it can be controversial because a lot of birds go to waste. Some people don’t agree with it but they certainly live a better life than most chickens, check this out if you’re unsure. I feel really proud about the fact that we are saving 100s of birds going to waste. It was my primary reason when I started on my pheasant game biltong experiment. My hope is that the trend continues. Help me spread the word. Let’s celebrate these birds, the South African way. Read the full article

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Game Biltong health benefits, better than beef biltong?

If you’ve ever been to South Africa you’ll know that game biltong is as popular as beef biltong, this is partly because there is such a wild variety of game. Springbok and Kudu biltong are my favourite game biltong meats. These meats are rare and mostly impossible to import to the UK. The sad fact is that even in South Africa, game meat is becoming a rare commodity. Poaching goes beyond elephants and rhinos. Fortunately, there are some great advances in alarm systems to help stop poachers in their tracks. How healthy is game biltong? Back here in the UK, there are two main types of game meat commonly used for making game biltong. Both Pheasants and Vennison are the most common types of game and are found all over England. When it comes to the health benefits of any game biltong it’s always going to be a healthier choice than beef. Although the most popular choice, beef is higher in fat and cholesterol, it is also more expensive and less sustainable as a whole. When it comes to buying beef biltong, you should choose beef biltong that is made with grass-fed organic beef. Pheasant Game biltong health stats Pheasant is a very rural meat and is normally quite reasonable to buy from most local butchers, it’s far cheaper than venison. Especially in the autumn to winter shooting season. It is loaded with protein and has significant levels of B vitamins and potassium.  It has high levels of the best kind of iron, especially good for building up muscle in your body. A 100g packet of pheasant game biltong contains just 133 calories, 78% are pure protein and 22% from fat. This is less than half the fat found in an equivalent cut of beef. So it may be healthier than Beef biltong, but is Pheasant biltong better? Tell us what you think! Read the full article

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Beef vs Pheasant Biltong, how do they stack up?

Biltong is fast becoming one of the most popular meat snacks in the UK, but have you heard of pheasant biltong? As you’d expect beef biltong is the most common type in the UK. Naturally, the UK doesn’t have quite the same game wildlife as African but there are still some good alternatives to try including pheasant birdtong. Can you make biltong from Pheasants? Not many people have heard of pheasant biltong (or birdtong as we call it), that’s because we only pioneered making it around 2 years ago. In fact, back in the day pheasants used to be more common and widely eaten than chicken. In modern times they’re not a popular choice and often people find the taste ‘too gamey’ a common mistake when hanging them for too long. Pheasant birds make for fantastic biltong. The meat has a very different texture to red meat and grass-fed animals but the real key is to not over dry your pheasant biltong. Being a smaller and more delicate cut of meat (compared to red meat) it can easily over dry. Our pheasant biltong is only hung for 24 hours, this helps the natural game flavour mature in the meat just to the right point without being overbearing. We use a similar spice flavouring to our beef biltong, with the addition of smoked paprika and herbs. If you’ve been thinking about trying it, here are 5 reasons why I think you need to try pheasant biltong. How does Beef vs Pheasant Biltong stack up? In truth, you can’t really compare beef biltong and pheasant biltong like for like, from a taste point of view they are very different. It’s like trying to compare chicken and beef...sort of. The common thread is the authentic biltong spice flavours we use but that’s where the similarities stop. Pheasant biltong holds its own next to a bowl of beef biltong. It is lighter than beef (being white meat) but it absorbs more of the spice flavour than the beef which can make it taste as rich and delicious. It is also very lean and healthy meat.  Go-on, give it a go ; ) Read the full article

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Is cheap biltong worth it? Supermarket vs artisan biltong.

I'm going to explore the side effects of cheap biltong and the difference between supermarket vs artisan biltong. When I first arrived in the UK from Cape Town back in ‘99, no one I came across had really heard of biltong. Fast forward 20+ years and you can now pick it up from any supermarket across the country.  There is a clear difference between UK and authentic South African biltong, a lot of biltong made in the UK is either too bland, salty or sweet like beef jerky. That said there are some UK biltong producers that we love, like Smallys Biltong Why is biltong so expensive? The simple reason is that in the process of drying meat to make biltong you loose around half the weight of the meat. This means that from a 1kg beef join costing £12, you will get 500 grams of biltong at a base cost of around £24. Naturally, you can get the cost of the meat down depending on your animal welfare ethics and your choice of prime or budget cuts of meat. Mass-produced biltong can be very unethical and unenjoyable. Supermarket vs artisan biltong The first thing I want to say is that not all supermarket biltong is cheap and bad quality and the purpose of this blog is not to name and shame. I just want to help highlight the difference between supermarket vs artisan biltong quality and price. In most of the supermarket biltong I’ve tried, it has either tasted too bland, too salty or too dry and the back of the pack usually has a long list of nasty extra unnatural ingredients. Read the full article

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Biltong problem-solving, our top 5 tips

The only way to learn about biltong problem-solving is to try a fail a few times, we sure have in the early days. Like anything the more you do it, the easier natural it becomes. In this blog, I want to share a few of my biltong fails along the way.  It’s one thing following a biltong recipe, but mastering the process of how to make biltong is something else. In truth, you can’t go too wrong. Making biltong is a relatively straightforward process, you just need the right kit and a bit of patience. Tried and test Biltong problem-solving Being from Cape Town, I know how I like my Biltong. If you’re new to your DIY biltong making journey, I’ve going to share these common mistakes to watch out for. Biltong that is too salty:  There is nothing worse than this and a very common mistake. Use good quality sea salt flakes, do not use refined table salt. Biltong that is too dry:  Another common problem, especially for people who use dehydrators. Keep the temperature as low as possible, you don’t want to slow cook your meat!  Biltong that is too bland:  The key to good flavour is to keep the fat on your meat (this also helps with moisture), marinade your meat for a good 24 hours overnight in your fridge and don’t be stingy with your spice mix.   Does biltong use sugar? In my view no good biltong recipe should use sugar. Read the full article

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Grabouw Beef Boerewors 500g (gluten free)

South African Grabouw Beef Boerewors Our Grabouw Beef Boerewors Sausage is gluten-free and made with Devon red ruby beef and a blend of spices including cloves and roasted coriander seeds. Grabouw is a particular type of boerewors that is spicy but not hot. Using the very best quality meat we marinade our meat for up to 48 hours, we then mix in our own special blend of traditional spices to ensure that classic and unmistakable taste. We vac-pac our product helping to lock in the moisture and succulence. We know what good Beef Boerewors should taste like, having grown up in Cape Town. Established in 1977, Damo has now been living in the UK since '99 and has been passionate about bringing South African flavours to new audiences ever since. Starting out on street markets, we've been flying the flag for South African food and our street food has been reaching new audiences. Read the full article

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The best way to slice your biltong.

If you’re reading this, chances are that you either thinking about making some DIY biltong or perhaps you’ve already made some. But to slice or not to slice, that is the question. We love sharing tips on our experience of making biltong, in fact, we have a growing list of around 9 blogs covering everything from biltong recipes to ingredients details and building biltong boxes. The key to good biltong is the right balance between dryness and moisture. Too dry and you end up with a very ‘old school’ tough biltong that you can spend a whole day chewing on. Some people like it that way, but not many.  Most people like their biltong moist, but you don’t want it underdone. 4-5 days of drying is just about right depending on conditions, more info about drying biltong here. Should you slice your biltong? In short, as soon as you slice your biltong you create more surface area for the meat to further dry out. So it really depends on how you are planning to store it. Keeping your slabs of biltong whole will help lock in the flavour and moisture for longer and traditionally in South Africa this is how we roll. Any biltong shop back in SA will have a large display of biltong slabs hanging in the window. There are even dedicated biltong cutters that people use to slice what they need. We slice our Lekker Bru biltong and package straight away to lock in the freshness, flavour and moisture. But what is the best way to slice your biltong?? Read the full article

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Lekker Bru mug, drink your coffee the African way

We just recently introduced a Lekker Bru mug to our range of products. It makes for a nice gift. This year I ditched the flowers and gave the Mrs a meat mug full of biltong. It went down a treat! Get a Lekker Bru mug and drink your coffee the South African way. Read the full article

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What cut of meat is best for beef biltong? Fat or no fat?

When thinking about what cut of meat is best for beef biltong, you also need to consider the pros and cons of how much fat is on the meat. Beef is the most popular choice of meat and although the UK doesn’t have the same variety of game meat as Africa. England has some fantastic game meats like Pheasant & Venison which make fantastic biltong. Best cut of Beef for Biltong You can use any cut of beef to make beef biltong, but the end result will be wildly different depending on what you use from a fillet or sirloin being the most high-end cuts to a skirt or brisket on the cheapest side. I really wouldn’t recommend using a skirt or brisket cut of beef, these work best when they are slow-cooked. We use a Beef Silverside cut for all our Lekker Bru biltong, it’s very similar and just above the Topside and below the Rump. The Silverside cut is a firm but tender meat with less fat than the Topside cut. The fat that lines the Rump and then down into the Silverside is FULL of flavour and in our view a key ingredient. Using leaner cuts of meat like a fillet is fine to use, it will result in lower fat biltong but this can really affect the flavour and moisture of the end result. What cut of meat is best for beef biltong? There are two choices here, beef or game. Naturally both very different in terms of taste and fat content. In a recent blog, we explored the health benefits of Game biltong which is especially healthy even more so than beef. Read the full article

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NEW Biltong spice powder product

We've recently added Biltong spice powder to our product range. With biltong shavings and that classic biltong spice mix, it will give the most amazing kick to any stew. At the bottom of every packed of Lekker Bru Biltong, you will find some beef biltong spice. This is gold dust and at the very heart of what gives our biltong the earthy African flavour. DON’T THROUGH THIS AWAY. All of this meaty biltong flavour can add incredible flavour to your cooking. How should you use Biltong spice powder? Using this Biltong Spice Mix adds a real depth of flavour to your cooking. One of our absolute favourite ways to use is in spaghetti bolognese, just 1 pack of our Biltong Spice Mix will absolutely transform your dish and pack an incredible punch of authentic flavour without being overbearing. Our 30g packs of Biltong spice powder are best used in one hit. Here are three of my favourite quick recipes, give them a try and let us know if you come up with any other ideas. For recipe ideas using Biltong spice powder see: https://www.lekkerbru.co.uk/beef-biltong-spice-recipes/ CHECK OUT SOME RECIPE IDEAS HERE Read the full article

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TOP Biltong hiding spots & essential storage tips

In our household, with 3 HUNGRY teenagers a biltong thirsty wife and a ninja dog in the mix, biltong is a DANGEROUS thing to leave lying around. You need Biltong hiding spots. My wife and kids are like carnivores cavemen, not to mention our dog who has gone to extreme lengths in the past to steal our most loved meaty snack. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt over the years, it that if you want your biltong to last. You need to hide it! Essential biltong storage tips Over the years I’ve had to learn the hard way, what seemed like a genius hiding spot 6 months ago seems kinda stupid when you find a mould-infested stash of biltong in a half-eaten packed...unsealed down the side of the sofa. Even the dog willing to turn that one down. When it comes to how to store biltong I cover some of the NO-Nos in this blog, two of the key enemies are humidity and mould (best friends). The ideal would be to not have to think about storage, or hiding your stash and just enjoy it all in one go. But that’s not practical or a healthy option either. Biltong hiding spots If you’re reading this you probably both agree with the need to hind your biltong and also the lunacy of having to do it. Fortunately all our Lekker Bru biltong is vacuum packed locking in the freshness for up to a year, so finding the right hiding spots that fit a dark and cool environment are the key to success...and not forgetting about them. Some of my top Biltong hiding spots over the years Underwear draw: VERY safe from Read the full article

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Lekker bru mug

White mug, black Lekker Bru Logo. Read the full article

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Biltong Spice Mix Powder

At the bottom of every packed of Lekker Bru Biltong, you will find some beef biltong spice. This is gold dust and at the very heart of what gives our biltong the earthy African flavour. DON’T THROUGH THIS AWAY. All of this meaty biltong flavour can add incredible flavour to your cooking. Using this Biltong Spice Mix adds a real depth of flavour to your cooking. One of our absolute favourite ways to use is in spaghetti bolognese, just 1 pack of our Biltong Spice Mix will absolutely transform your dish and pack an incredible punch of authentic flavour without being overbearing. For other ideas check out: 3 very quick recipes to try with biltong spice.   Read the full article

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Beef Biltong spice, 3 amazing biltong recipes you need to try

Every pack of Lekker Bru biltong comes with an authentic beef biltong spice that gives it unmistakable South African taste. Between the early African Bushmen and the Dutch, Biltong recipes have been refined and now firm part of not only South African cuisine. Biltong is growing in popularity all over the world.  The most popular way to enjoy your biltong is with your favourite cold drink and a few snacks or a cheeseboard. Or something to munch on while having a Braai, of course. But you can use biltong as an ingredient, I’ve listest a few ways I like to use it in my cooking. At the bottom of every packed of Lekker Bru Biltong, you will find some beef biltong spice. This is gold dust and at the very heart of what gives our biltong the earthy African flavour. DON’T THROUGH THIS AWAY. All of this meaty biltong flavour can add incredible flavour to your cooking.  3 very quick recipes for leftover beef biltong spice.  Toasted Cheese sarnie with Beef Biltong spiceWho does like a cheese toastie?  Once you’ve grated your cheese onto your favourite bread, I like to add some thinly sliced tomatoes and then a healthy sprinkle of the spice mix. This will add a big bold punch a flavour.Tomato soup with Beef Biltong spiceI do LOVE a tin of Heinze tomato soup on a moody winters day. But I like to beef it up a bit. I heat up in the microwave as per the tins instructions, then I add a generous pinch of the spice mix along with a hearty grating of parmesan cheese. I then mop it all up with Read the full article