Chefs share cooking tips
CHEFS SHARE COOKING TIPS AT THE FIRE & FEAST BUTCHER’S FESTIVAL KITCHEN ZONES
Flavour-infused lamb, pork and beef dishes will be skilfully prepared and cooked by some of South Africa’s leading chefs in the various kitchen zones featuring at The Fire & Feast Butcher’s Festival, presented by Crown National, taking place at Johannesburg’s Ticketpro Dome from 26 to 28 May.
Throughout the three-day festival of meat, seven chefs will keep audiences captivated with their entertaining talks and practical demonstrations in The Lamb and Mutton SA Kitchen, The Pork 360 Kitchen, The Beef Zone and The Blue Ribbon Sandwich Square Theatre. Every tasty meal prepared in these kitchen zones will be cooked on Chad-O-Chef products, showcasing the incredible range of this leading gas braai.
“Visitors to this year’s festival will be treated to interesting yet simple ways to create new recipes using various cuts of lamb, beef and pork – including the increasingly popular offal cuts – all over an open flame,” explained the kitchen zone co-ordinator and renowned South African chef, Arnold Tanzer. “The recipes have been specifically chosen for a range of cooking abilities, all requiring minimal preparation.”
The Pork 360 Kitchen
Frikkadels, pork fillets, pork roast, pork belly, shanks, pork rashers and thai curry are some of the appetizing dishes that will emanate from this kitchen with chefs, Richard Rust, Sizwe Cebekhulu and Kabelo Segone bringing the heat.
British-born Richard Rust comes with years of culinary experience in both England – where he cooked for many celebrities, including the British royal family – and South Africa, where he has worked extensively with local celebrity chefs as well as taking the role of Woolworths Regional Taste Chef Manager. Rust; who also runs his catering company, Gourmet Gurus; is passionate about using local produce for classic meals prepared with a modern twist.
After a decade in the industry ‘Chef Sizwe’ Cebekhulu knows his way around a kitchen. He is currently working as the Advisory Chef for Nestle Professional South Africa which involves, among other things, co-ordinating Nestle kitchen activities and workshops, menu planning and composition as well as the introduction and creation of new dishes. He has an impressive three years’ experience in five-star establishments overseas, preparing dishes for ministers and celebrities.
From his school days earning extra cash in kitchens around Krugersdorp, Kabelo Segone knew he had found his industry. Dedicated to training and education, he is Head of Department at Hospitality Trainers’ and Associates where he shares the experience he’s gained featuring on SABC and DSTV cooking shows as well as in several publications. He has been the director of the South African Chefs Association since 2009 and, in 2015, he became a vice-president of SA Chefs and brand ambassador for Lucky Star.
The Lamb and Mutton SA Kitchen
Entering this aromatic kitchen zone, visitors will be treated to a sensory overload of lamb koftas, grilled livers, lamb kidneys, ribs, mutton loin and mutton rump prepared by Citrum Khumalo and Stefano Strafella.
Currently the executive chef at Sasol headquarters, Stefano Strafella has reached this level through dedicated hard work and talent, starting his career in the army officer’s mess hall in 1986. His journey has taken him to a number of illustrious kitchens including the Sandton Sun, Saxon, The Westcliff Hotel and Mount Grace Hotel & Spa, among many others.
With a passion for African cuisine development, Citrum Khumalo aka Chef Khumalo – the president of African Chefs United – is very comfortable around a braai. Starting as an in-service trainee chef and waiter, Khumalo found a passion for the culinary world, cooking for a number of celebrities, among them Nelson Mandela and Brad Pitt. He has won numerous local and international competitions, including the Nestle Golden Chefs Hat in 2001. His entrepreneurial side saw him launch a range of African spices and sauces called ‘Chef Khumalo’s Africa in a Bottle’ which is sold internationally. He has featured prominently in the South African media on various platforms and also launched The Culinary Arts’ Association of South Africa, a vibrant and dynamic association for professionals aimed at creating awareness about indigenous foods and cultures in South Africa.
The Beef Zone
Beef kebabs, citrus flank steak, rump, bone marrow, pulled beef and the enticing ox heart burger are on the menu in this zone, all expertly created by chefs Raynor Damons and Sasha Zambetti.
Starting his career at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, Raynor Damons continued to work at a number of prominent locations, including Mount Grace, before some international exposure in the USA at Boca West Country Club, Florida and Glen Oakes in New York City. On returning to South Africa, he was privileged to work under chef, Dallas Orr, at the newly-opened Maslow Hotel in Sandton, before heading up the kitchens at Fairmont Zimbali Resort & Lodge, finally taking up the role of executive chef at The Crowne Plaza Johannesburg Rosebank.
Part-owner of The Cooking School, Sasha Zambetti knew from a young age that cooking was the career for her. After graduating from the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine, she made her way up the culinary ranks, working in various lines of catering, from hotels and restaurants to private dinners, finally finding her place in food media where she became editor of Your Family and Avocado/Avokado magazines. Zambetti has also hosted a number of television cooking shows including In My Kitchen and No-one Cooks Like Mama.
The Blue Ribbon Sandwich Square Theatre
Visitors will also get fantastic tips on how to really enhance everybody’s favourite on-the-go meal, the sandwich. Using cuts of lamb, beef and pork from the three other kitchen zones, two culinary experts will add some creative spice to turn a once-bland snack into a veritable feast, sure to improve any weekday lunch.
On standby for the entire kitchen zone is the owner of one of Johannesburg’s largest kosher enterprises – Totally Kosher – Richard Pearce. Pearce is as adept at running an organisation as he is at creating incredible dishes. He has worked in a number of high-end kitchens locally and abroad, including Southern Sun InterContinental Kigali and Kivu Sun Hotels in Rwanda; Boca West Country Club in Florida, USA as well as The Michaelangelo. During his time, he has served the likes of Nelson Mandela, Michael Jackson, Bono, Chris Rock and Wesley Snipes as well as acting as a judge for several cooking contests including the preliminary rounds of MasterChef South Africa.
Not-to-be-missed features
In addition to the four kitchen zones, The Fire & Feast Butcher’s Festival, presented by Crown National, will feature the exciting National Butchers’ Challenge, presented by Crown National. During this contest, 10 teams of six will compete for the top spot, as well as the chance to represent South Africa at the World Butcher’s Challenge in Ireland next year. Contestants will be given a three-hour time slot during which they will have to prepare and present cuts of lamb, beef and pork with judges scrutinising various aspects such as hygiene and presentation.
Visitors can get the festival started with a fantastic meal of eggs, bacon and sausages in the Breakfast Zone presented by Enterprise, with The Castle Tank providing refreshing beers after a long day of perusing the various stalls. Expert advice on the perfect wine selections to complement every meat dish make the Wine Pairing feature a must-visit attraction while those with a penchant for the clearer beverage can stop in at The Gin Bar.
The youngsters will be kept thoroughly entertained in the fully-equipped Kids’ Zone and there will be live music by the talented Gus Brown Band on Saturday and Sunday at selected times, creating a fantastic family-fun event.
Food trucks located at the festival venue will offer quality, on-the-go fare which visitors can enjoy while stopping in at the various workshops. Here, industry experts will demonstrate the latest products in the culinary world while giving much-needed insight into the meat industry for both traders and consumers. Some of the workshop topics include ‘Key pointers for choosing a quality meat product’; ‘What does a product label tell me about a butcher’s product?’ and ‘How to choose the best meat for my special celebration or BBQ?’.
The Fire & Feast Butcher’s Festival, presented by Crown National, runs from 10am to 6pm Friday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm on Sunday. Tickets are available from TicketPro at a cost of R100 for adults, R80 for pensioners and R50 for children under 12.
For more information visit www.fireandfeast.co.za
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