Making Biltong (Beef Jerky)

Aim:
I want to learn how to prevent bacteria from taking over the meat and make Biltong (Beef Jerky)

Hypothesis:
I predict that it we would be very dry

Method:

Ingredients we will need to make a Biltong:

• Raw Steak or any meat that you prefer
• Seasonings for flavour (a tweak of  coriander, pepper, ginger, chilli, garlic, chicken salt, cummin)
• Tons of salt about a handful
• String (15 cm long)
• Razor-sharp knife
• Bowl or plate
• News Paper 

Direction for making Biltong

1. Grab the Ingredients
2. Wash your hands
3. Chop the raw steak into thin sections about 1-2 cm wide.
4. Make sure you put newspaper on the spot your working at so it doesn't get messy. Also put newspaper underneath the place where you going to tie the meat in.
5. Get the salt and spices and mix them together.
6. Put the chopped steak into the bowl.
7. Add the salt and the seasonings along with it, roll the steak on the salt.
8. Tie the string around each of the steak 3 times.
9. Tie the meat onto the ceiling , make sure there's air going around the steak. We need air going to the steak because it takes the water out of it.
10. Leave the steak to dry for about 1 week.
11. Wash your hands again.

How does salt prevent the meat from rotting?
Salt is an ancient way of preserving meat. The salt sucks out the moisture and will create an unlivable space for bacteria to live in so the meat wouldn't rot.

Result:

It is very hard and dry, the meat is brown with little bits of white from the salt or fat, you can bend it a little bit. It smell like fat or dog food with a hint of the seasonings. Inside it's maroon and when you pull the outside bit it's like really cheesy pizza or spider web. When I took a bite it taste really salty with beef fat taste to it and you can also taste all the seasonings together.

Discussion:
Why did salt the meat?
The reason why we salt the meat is that it eliminates the bacteria and it will prevent the salt from being rotten.

How does salt kill bacteria?
The salt dehydrates the meat and take all the water which the bacteria needs.