Part 3 - Drying the Meat -
You need a dry place to hang the meat and I'm using a cupboard that I modified with some help from a friend.
Index
Now, on to part 3...
The cupboard uses convection to dry the meat. The lightbulb warms up the damp air at the bottom of the cupboard, which then rises to the top and is blown out by a small extractor fan. This system keeps the air as fresh and dry as possible inside the cupboard.
Before you get started, use fresh lemon or lemon juice to clean out the cupboard. Regular cleaning products work fine, but make sure the odor is completely gone before hanging the meat.
Tinfoil works well as a disposable drip tray.
Now that we've lined the bottom of the cupboard with foil, it's finally time to hang our steaks!
Poke a hole in each stake and add a hook. I use these plastic hooks or a piece of string also works well. Don't use metal hooks as the vinegar will rust them!
At this point you can gauge how well you've cured and spiced your meat. Some of the steaks may drip a bit or shed a few spices, but the less the better.
I've added a mosquito net to keep the flying beasties out.
The time it takes to dry depends heavily on your climate. In a hot dry environment, it takes about 4 days, but if it's cold and rainy, it could take as much as 2 weeks.
For the first 3 days at least the meat needs to be gently sprayed with vinegar to prevent mold from forming especially in a wet climate.
Look out for Part 4 for the grand finale, where I'll be cutting and packaging coming soon to Hive!