Biltong dates back to the Cape settlers of the 17th century, who cured strips of beef in salt, vinegar and spice so it would keep for months without refrigeration. Air did the work, not heat. The name comes from the Dutch bil (rump) and tong (strip).
We came to it the long way round. Years of curing in South Africa, and the family recipes we brought with us to Australia. What we sell is what our family has eaten for generations.
Then we tried Australian Wagyu. It stopped being a refinement and became a different product altogether: the marbling carried the spice in a way lean beef never had, and the texture changed completely. That batch is the reason this brand exists.
We’re a family business on the Fraser Coast. Small batches, cut by hand, and no interest in making it any faster.
Why Wagyu
Traditional biltong is made from lean silverside. Good, but lean. Australia produces some of the best marbled beef in the world, and that marbling changes the result completely: the intramuscular fat renders gently through the cure, so the finished biltong stays tender instead of turning tough.
This only works because biltong is air-dried rather than heat-dried. Fat doesn’t survive the heat-drying used for jerky — which is exactly why jerky is always made from lean cuts.
How We Cure It
Whole cuts only, never offcuts or reformed meat. Cured in vinegar and coarse salt, hand-coated in toasted coriander and cracked black pepper, then hung in cool moving air for several days until it has lost close to half its original weight. No heat, no smoke, no sugar, no nitrates.
It takes longer and costs more. We think you can taste the difference, which is the only argument that matters.
— The Gourmet Biltong Co family, Hervey Bay
Wholesale
Stocking Gourmet Biltong Co in a bottle shop, deli or butchery? Email us with “Wholesale” in the subject line and we’ll send the trade list.
Contact
The fastest way to reach us is email. We aim to reply within one business day.