Brett’s Biltong
Brett Petzer didn’t come to the Texas Hill Country specifically to make biltong.
But I’m glad he did.
Because it’s absolutely delicious.
Actually, it’s more like addictive.
Biltong is a dried, cured meat from South Africa. It comes from the Afrikaans words bil (buttock) and tong (strip or tongue) and is popular throughout the southern end of the African Continent. It is generally crafted from game meat or beef and is prepared with a host of spices. Biltong is not jerky and to compare it to such is often akin to fighting words when discussing the matter with anyone from Africa. Biltong is air dried whole then sliced. Jerky is sliced, marinated, then cooked with heat. The difference in process makes biltong soft and allows it to carry more flavor whereas jerky is usually drier and rock hard.
Brett learned to make biltong back in his native Rhodesia with his father. The two would make it while hunting and generally make it from impala antelope. Brett continued making biltong when he became a Professional Hunter in South Africa. He didn’t get the chance to make his favorite snack when he served both the US Department of Defense and State Department while stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. This work introduced him to a woman named Rashael. The two married and moved to Rashael’s home state of Oklahoma. And although this is what they both wanted it presented a problem for Brett. “Since I came into the country legally on a Green Card, I couldn’t work,” Brett explained to me while giving me a VIP of his store Brett’s Biltong in Llano. “I was just sitting around not allowed to work for eight months.” This boredom bred Brett’s desires to start making biltong again. “I started making it [from beef] as a hobby and pretty soon friends asked to buy some. Then I started selling it online. I then took a bodyguard job in Wichita, Kansas and kept making it there and selling it.”
Brett’s job as a bodyguard was short lived however as he wasn’t able to travel freely. “The family I worked for traveled overseas a lot and, because of my status, I had to get a Visa for every time we traveled. This took a lot of time.” This issue led Brett to leave the protection service and to return to his love of guiding hunters although this time on several game ranches in Central and South Texas. Brett and his wife fell in love with the Hill Country, and they eventually moved to Llano to open Brett’s Biltong.
Billed as a “The South African Store,” Brett’s Biltong features the very best of Southern Africa. They sell African foods, spices, sauces, wines, beers, curios, and of course, biltong. Brett crafts his biltong from MTX Beef in Mason, Texas and dries it with a variety of flavors. While the Traditional flavor is by far the most popular, he also carries Chili, Chutney, and even one called Angry. “That came about because I had some customers that complained that my Chili flavor wasn’t hot enough. I toyed with the spices to make it hotter and when those customers tried it, they said, ‘This is so hot! Are you angry with us?!”
In addition to biltong, Brett also makes and sells stokkies. Meaning “little sticks” in Afrikaans, stokkies are “Similar to your jerky. It’s drier. It has very little moisture.” Brett also prepares and sells boerewors (a type of sausage similar to a Brat), meat pies, and stews. He also sells cuts of meats prepared with South African or Portuguese spices. These are perfect for a braai. “A South African braai is a very long social gathering built around cooking outside. That was one of the big changes I faced when I came to Texas. In Texas, people will say, ‘I’m having a barbeque. It’s at three.’ You come over and the meat is already cooked. A braai involves everyone coming together to cook and drink and socialize for the entire time it takes to cook. It’s a very long outdoor cooking party.”
Learn more about braais, biltong, stokkies, boerewors, and all the very best of Southern Africa from Brett and his wife at Brett’s Biltong in Llano. But be warned, as the sign in their shop promises, “Biltong: The fastest way to eat 2kg of meat without realizing it.”
Take it from me. This is very true.
This piece first appeared in the Fredericksburg Standard.
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