Biltong Batch 6 — Prep & Shopping List

# Biltong Batch 6 — Prep & Shopping List

A comprehensive preparation guide for a 10kg batch, built from five batches of accumulated learnings.

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## 1. Recipe Evolution Summary

### Per-Kilogram Ratios Across Batches

| Batch | Weight (kg) | Salt (g/kg) | Pepper (g/kg) | Coriander (g/kg) | Star Anise (/kg) | Masala (g/kg) | Wash (g/kg) | Key Changes                                                                                                    |
| ----- | ----------- | ----------- | ------------- | ---------------- | ---------------- | ------------- | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1     | 1.70        | 15.88       | 1.76          | 3.53             | 2.35             | —             | —           | Baseline. No wash, basic spices only                                                                           |
| 2     | 5.98        | 12.68       | 1.76          | 3.53             | 1.17             | —             | 23.58       | First wash introduced (141g). 20% salt reduction. Forgot garam masala                                          |
| 3     | 6.02        | 14.12       | 1.74          | 5.92             | 1.16             | 9.47          | 24.75       | Added tandoori (54g) and garam masala (3g). 10% salt reduction from base. Coriander bumped up                  |
| 4     | 7.98        | 13.85       | 1.74          | 5.93             | 1.19             | 13.46         | 24.74       | Properly scaled wash. Added cayenne (1.25 g/kg) and ancho/chipotle/guajillo chilies. 1.6kg uncovered by dredge |
| 5     | 8.20        | 13.48       | 1.70          | 5.77             | 1.16             | 12.68\*       | 20.49\*\*   | Multiple substitutions (short on tandoori, worcestershire). Key notes: +30% wash, +40% seasoning volume        |

\* Batch 5 masala: 50g tandoori + 54g garam + 50g Indian masala = 154g total (18.78 g/kg combined), but this was compensating for shortages, not an intentional recipe change.

\*\* Batch 5 wash was short — only 70g worcestershire used vs the 99.4g calculated. The 20.49 g/kg understates the intended ratio.

### Evolution Highlights

- **Batch 1:** The starting point. No wash, just salt and basic spices on 1.7kg.
- **Batch 2:** First wash introduced (141g total for 5.98kg). Salt reduced 20% from batch 1's heavy 15.88 g/kg. Note: "need 20% more wash next time." Forgot garam masala — added it before hanging as a save.
- **Batch 3:** Wash unchanged from batch 2 despite the "increase 20%" note (same 149g for 6.02kg). Added tandoori masala at 1/3 of spice weight and garam masala. Salt set at 10% below base.
- **Batch 4:** Wash properly scaled up (~197g for 7.98kg). Added cayenne pepper and ancho/chipotle/guajillo chilies for heat. Discovery: 1.6kg of meat wasn't covered by the dredge seasoning — need more volume.
- **Batch 5:** Ran short on several ingredients (worcestershire, tandoori masala, cayenne). Made creative substitutions. Key learnings locked in: **increase wash by 30%**, **increase seasoning volume by 40%**, finer grind needs more volume.

---

## 2. Batch 6 Calculated Recipe (10kg)

### Scaling Approach

**Base recipe:** Batch 4's calculated amounts (most complete batch without substitution issues).
**Scaled to:** 10kg.
**Then applied:** Batch 5's learnings (+30% wash, +40% seasoning volume).

### Wash — 10kg with +30% Increase

Starting from batch 4's per-kg ratios, scaled to 10kg, then bumped 30%:

| Ingredient           | Batch 4 (g/kg) | At 10kg   | +30% Final |
| -------------------- | -------------- | --------- | ---------- |
| Worcestershire sauce | 12.46          | 124.6     | **162.0g** |
| Red wine vinegar     | 3.48           | 34.8      | **45.2g**  |
| Apple cider vinegar  | 2.82           | 28.2      | **36.7g**  |
| Condimento blanco    | 3.32           | 33.2      | **43.2g**  |
| Black malt vinegar   | 2.66           | 26.6      | **34.6g**  |
| **Total wash**       | **24.74**      | **247.4** | **321.7g** |

The +30% ensures adequate coverage even as the meat warms and the wash thins out (batch 5 learning about temperature affecting usability).

### Seasoning — 10kg with Two Options

The batch 5 note says to increase seasoning volume by 40% to ensure full coverage, especially with finer grinds. But salt is different from coverage spices — over-salting is hard to fix. Here are two columns so you can decide:

| Ingredient      | Batch 4 (g/kg)       | Conservative (salt flat, rest +40%) | Full +40% (everything) |
| --------------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Salt            | 13.85                | **138.5g**                          | **193.9g**             |
| Black pepper    | 1.74                 | **24.4g**                           | **24.4g**              |
| Coriander       | 5.93                 | **83.0g**                           | **83.0g**              |
| Star anise      | 1.19 /kg             | **~17 pods**                        | **~17 pods**           |
| Tandoori masala | 13.46                | **188.4g**                          | **188.4g**             |
| Garam masala    | ~0.50 (batch 3 rate) | **8g**                              | **8g**                 |
| Cayenne pepper  | 1.25                 | **17.5g**                           | **17.5g**              |

**Ryan's call on salt:** Batch 4 and 5 both used ~13.5–13.85 g/kg and that tasted right. The "increase by 40%" note was about seasoning _volume for coverage_ (the dredge running out on 1.6kg in batch 4, finer grinds needing more). Salt doesn't need a volume bump for coverage — it dissolves. **Recommendation: go Conservative on salt (138.5g) and +40% on everything else.**

### Chilies

Based on batch 4's ratios scaled to 10kg with the +40% volume increase:

| Type             | Batch 4 (/7.98kg) | Scaled to 10kg | +40%    |
| ---------------- | ----------------- | -------------- | ------- |
| Chipotle         | 2                 | 3              | **4–5** |
| Guajillo         | 2                 | 3              | **4–5** |
| Ancho (optional) | 12                | 15             | **~20** |

Deseed all chilies. If you want to simplify, skip the ancho and bump chipotle/guajillo to 6–7 each.

---

## 3. Shopping List

### Meat

| Item             | Quantity | Source          |
| ---------------- | -------- | --------------- |
| Irish Silverside | 10kg     | Gourmet Experts |

### Wash Ingredients

| Item                 | Exact Amount | Buy At Least          |
| -------------------- | ------------ | --------------------- |
| Worcestershire sauce | 162.0g       | 200g (1 large bottle) |
| Red wine vinegar     | 45.2g        | 100ml bottle          |
| Apple cider vinegar  | 36.7g        | 100ml bottle          |
| Condimento blanco    | 43.2g        | 100ml bottle          |
| Black malt vinegar   | 34.6g        | 100ml bottle          |

### Dry Spices

| Item                  | Exact Amount                          | Buy At Least                  |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| Salt                  | 138.5g (conservative) / 193.9g (full) | 250g                          |
| Black pepper (whole)  | 24.4g                                 | 50g pack                      |
| Coriander seeds       | 83.0g                                 | 100g pack                     |
| Star anise pods       | ~17                                   | 30g bag (~20 pods)            |
| Tandoori masala       | 188.4g                                | 200g (2x 100g packs)          |
| Garam masala          | 8g                                    | 50g pack (smallest available) |
| Cayenne pepper powder | 17.5g                                 | 50g pack                      |

### Chilies (Dried)

| Type             | Count | Notes                       |
| ---------------- | ----- | --------------------------- |
| Chipotle         | 4–5   | Deseed before grinding      |
| Guajillo         | 4–5   | Deseed before grinding      |
| Ancho (optional) | ~20   | Deseed; skip if simplifying |

### Equipment & Supplies

| Item                   | Quantity | Notes                                             |
| ---------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Steel hooks (7cm, 13g) | 25–30    | Based on batch 5's 21 pieces for 8.2kg, scaled up |
| Kitchen scale          | 1        | For weighing individual pieces before fridge rest |
| Spice grinder / mortar | 1        | Grind coriander separately and coarsely           |

---

## 4. Process Notes from Batch History

These are the accumulated hard-won lessons from five batches:

1. **Grind coriander coarsely and separately** — You want big coriander pieces in the final product. Grind it on its own so you can control the texture. (Batches 3, 4, 5)

2. **Work quickly — temperature matters** — As the meat warms up, the wash becomes less usable because fat and myoglobin mix in. Keep the meat cold and work in batches if needed. (Batch 5)

3. **Weigh each piece before placing in the fridge for dry brine** — The meat sits spiced in the fridge for 1–2 days, which is functionally a dry brine. Weighing beforehand gives you a proper starting weight for tracking drying progress. (Batch 5)

4. **Make enough dredge to cover ALL the meat** — In batch 4, 1.6kg ran out of seasoning. The +40% increase should prevent this, but keep an eye on it. Better to have leftover spice mix than uncovered meat.

5. **Finer grind = need more volume** — If you grind spices finer than usual, the same weight covers less surface area. The +40% accounts for this. (Batch 5)

6. **Average daily weight loss is ~4.21% of initial weight** — From the batch 2 analysis. Use this to estimate when pieces are ready. A 500g piece loses ~21g/day, so expect ~13–15 days for medium pieces.

7. **Expected yield is ~45% of net weight** — Based on batch 5 projections. A 10kg batch should yield roughly 4.5kg of finished biltong.

8. **Estimated pieces: 25–30** — Batch 5 had 21 pieces from 8.2kg. Scaling to 10kg and assuming similar cut sizes.

9. **Don't forget the garam masala this time** — It was forgotten in batch 2 and had to be added last minute. Small amount (8g) but worth having in the spice mix from the start. (Batch 2)

---

## Quick Reference Card

```
WASH (321.7g total):
  Worcestershire  162.0g
  Red wine vin.    45.2g
  Apple cider vin. 36.7g
  Cond. blanco     43.2g
  Black malt vin.  34.6g

SEASONING (conservative salt):
  Salt            138.5g
  Black pepper     24.4g
  Coriander        83.0g
  Star anise       ~17 pods
  Tandoori masala 188.4g
  Garam masala      8.0g
  Cayenne          17.5g
  Chilies: 4-5 chipotle, 4-5 guajillo, ~20 ancho (all deseeded)
```

Good luck with batch 6.