Yes, so am I. I want make the real deal.
I use only coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, crushed coriander seeds and brown sugar to spice my meat.
When making beef biltong you can just blot your meat slices dry. Paint meat on all sides with real vinegar using a pastry brush (not spirit vinegar) I use brown grape vinegar. White would be fine too.
My basic spice mix:
500gr (1.1 lbs) of coarse sea salt or kosher salt
150gr (5.2 ounces) of coarsely ground coriander seeds
125 gr (4.4 ounces) of light brown sugar
5 tsps. of bicarbonate of soda (makes the biltong tender)
5 tsps. of freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the spices well. Rub generously onto all sides of the meat. Lay meat on a flat tray and let it rest for about 6-8 hours. Shake off excess spice. Hang on hooks in your dryer. You can allow the meat to dry completely or eat it when it's slightly "wet". When you press on the biltong and it's still a bit soft in the middle, it will still give slightly when pressed. Then you can cut a piece of the end to check. Taste and if you want it dryer then just hang it to dry more.
You can add chili flakes or cayenne pepper to your spice mix to make a chili biltong. I add a bit of paprika when I use cayenne pepper.
Best cuts to use for biltong: Rump Steaks or London Broil. Always cut meat with the grain. The slices should be about 3/4 of an inch thick.
Make sure you have a very sharp knife or get your butcher to do it for you.
You're not making jerky so keep the fat on the meat. Try and find meat with yellow translucent fat. Not waxy white fat. Yellow fat or shiny fat as we call it, tastes great when dried.
If you are using venison, look under my profile for Game Biltong. The process is similar but the meat gets dunked in vinegar mix.
You can also use strips of meat to make biltong sticks.
