The first review on Braaitime will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of their traditional beef biltong flavor. This biltong was kindly submitted for review by the owners, Warren Pala and his wife Nicolle.
This family owned and operated Braaitime brand name is distributed by Braaitime LLC. They are located in Keansburg, New Jersey, and was founded in 2006 after immigrating from South Africa. The word ‘Braai’ is Dutch, meaning barbecue or grill. Following the true authentic traditions of South African biltong, it is air dried, as opposed to dried or cooked in something such as a dehydrator. A few years back, the USDA insisted that their biltong must be cooked at minimum of 160F. After undergoing an expensive, lengthy scientific study, Braaitime acquired USDA approval to continue air drying their biltong. They also offer other South African based products such as droëwors and boerewors.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Vinegar, Black Pepper, Coriander.
The beef used is guaranteed to be ethically raised, meaning the cattle are never given growth hormones. There are no guarantees that the cattle have at least partial free range access to graze on grass, but Braaitime does offer a 100% grass-fed line of their products that would receive an Excellent (10/10) ingredient rating.
The liquid marinade is just healthy vinegar. Black Pepper is used, which some people refer to as the king of spices. Interestingly, the herb coriander is used, which is fairly common to biltong. It is a member of the parsley family, and also known as cilantro that offers many health benefits.
Admirably, there is no sugar used whatsoever in this biltong. The salt level is high at 470mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. However, while not explicitly stated in the ingredient list, which is negated because minimally refined sea salt is used, as opposed to highly refined table salt. Sea salt is high on essential and trace minerals.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or use any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. To the credit of Braaitime, there is no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These strips of biltong are small in size, and sliced to a medium thickness. They are near a soft and tender texture, but not quite, and are easy to chew. There is a considerable amount of fat that greatly adds to the overall natural beef flavor. A bit of oily residue is left on your fingers while handling this biltong.
The first taste detected is a moderately strong vinegar taste. Mixed in with that is a mild, delicious tasting coriander flavor. All along, there is a great deal of natural beef flavor. It cannot be understated how much the fat enhances the overall natural beef flavor.
The salt is at a mild level, and the peppered level is light. This biltong absolutely manages to capture that classic South African tasting flavor, which is a true treat to eat.
This 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells online for $9.99. That works out to $2.50 an ounce, which rates as a slightly expensive price. The price is cheaper if you order larger quantities. We surely recommend this biltong as worth your money, where every beef lover should experience biltong at least once in their life.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to both the front and back. The logo resembles a coil of South African boerewors sizzling on the grill (Braai).
Their slogan is “Gourmet Cured Meats”. The only fact displayed on this bag is “Seasoned Dried Beef”. On the back, there is a great blurb printed about the Braaitime commitment to providing a quality product, and the health benefits of consuming biltong.
All bag categories are addressed here with the minor exception that the weight is not stated in grams. Despite having slits to easily open the bag, we still found it a challenge to open this bag. To the credit of Braaitime, a toll free phone number is provided for customer inquiries. While not stated on the bag itself, a satisfaction guaranteed policy is offered.
Order their biltong online: www.braaitime.com
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