Make your Braai Extra Special this Braai4Heritage Day
Make your Braai Extra Special this Braai4Heritage Day
In 2005, to celebrate the South African culinary tradition of holding informal backyard barbecues, Heritage Day also became known as Braai Day. This initiative aims to unify South Africans from all walks of life by braaing with friends and family.
At the end of 2007 National Braai Day changed its name to Braai4Heritage and the initiative received the endorsement of South Africa’s National Heritage Council.
Everyone has their own ideas, tips and tricks on how to make the perfect braai, but here are a few extra guidelines that can help even the most seasoned braai master enhance their braaing skills.
Getting Started
Getting your equipment and fire ready for your braai is key in starting the perfect braai.
It is better to clean your grid before each braai, instead of after (leaving the previous fat on will protect it from the elements) and use a stainless steel grid if possible
Each braaier has got their tried and tested method of starting a fire. Having a fire accelerant is a great way to get things going, especially if the wood is a bit wet, dry wood is obviously better but it doesn’t always work out that way. If you are using commercial fire accelerants, use trusted brands, as they burn for longer. If you want to be a bit more eco-friendly, try one of these two homemade accelerants:
– Dry old tea bags. Once dried, soak in mentholated spirits till well absorbed.
– Fill egg cartons with used cooking oil – they make an excellent fire starter that burns for around 15 minutes.
Remember: NEVER spray lighter fluid onto your fire!
You can use any base for making your fire, but when using wood, do not use indigenous woods and remember that hard wood makes the best coals.
Once your fire has burnt out and you’re ready to braai, you’ll need to test the coals. If you want hot coals, you should be able to hold your hand over the coals for 2 – 3 seconds at 10 cm away from the coals before needing to pull your hand away. For medium coals (best for most braai cuts) 10 seconds is about right.
The Meat
If you want tender, succulent meat, spending a little bit more for fresher, better cuts at your butchery is well worth it.
Try not to freeze the meat before the braai, the ice crystals stab holes into the muscle and your meat will be less juicy when cooked. If you do make use of chops out of the freezer, put the meat in a bag and place in warm water to defrost.
If your meat is in the fridge, take it out a half hour before it goes onto the griddle. This will ensure even cooking, without burning the outside.
You can also infuse more flavour into meat by marinating it for at least two hours before you braai, but preferably overnight. An acidic based marinade will also help you tenderise your meat and if you want nice sticky ribs or chicken, use a marinade with a high sugar content. If you are using marinade or basting on your meat, raise the grid higher to prevent the marinade from getting burned.
It has also become quite popular to braai meats on wooden planks. The meat is coated with a dry rub and placed on the plank onto the grill. The rub and the natural oils of the wood give the meat a unique flavour and helps retain a lot of moisture.
Braaing with friends is great, but remember the number one rule as a guest at a braai – not to “back seat braai” by giving advice or instruction to the braaier! It’s considered bad braai etiquette.
Most South Africans cook the wors last, but it is better to braai the thicker cuts of meat and wors when the coals are hotter. If you want to prevent your wors from splitting, dip it into water before you put it on the fire.
Ribs and chicken can be precooked before you put it on the grill to make sure it is cooked through and to help retain the moisture. Boil or cook the chicken in a microwave 10 to 20 minutes beforehand and for ribs cook them for 30 minutes in the oven.
Many steak aficionados believe that you should only turn your steak once using set times to get the perfect result.
Did you know that you can see when to turn a pork chop by looking at the fat rind? When the rind is raised to its half way line, your chop is ready to be turned over.
To infuse some aromas into chicken or fish, you can place fresh herbs on the coals.
Always use braai tongs instead of a fork to turn your meat. If you puncture your meat, all the succulent juices will run out and make the meat dry.
All meats should rest 5 – 10 minutes after being cooked to prevent the meat’s juices from seeping out and becoming dry.
Something on the Side
What is a braai without braaibroodjies & potato salad? But have you ever tried putting a different spin on the classic braaibroodjie or exploring other side dishes than the trusty potato salad?
Braaibroodjies is usually made with cheese, onion and tomato. Try jazzing it up by adding fresh herbs like shredded basil or spreading one side with your favourite pesto. Some people even enjoy a bit if sweetness by adding a splash of chutney, caramelised onions or roasted sweet peppers. Try out different cheeses too, to find your perfect braaibroodjie combo. Mozzarella is great to use due to its great melting abilities. Experiment with different combinations to find your perfect customised braaibroodjie sensation.
Mealies on the braai is always a treat, but instead of just topping it with butter, melt some butter and Marmite together and slather it over the hot mealies.
You can also braai most vegetables. Just coat it with a bit of oil or oil based dressing and pop it onto the grill. Make sure that the pieces are not so small that it fall through the grid, but not to big that it gets charred on the outside and it is still raw inside.
Combine your favourite vegetables, season and sprinkle with a bit of oil. Wrap in heavy duty tin foil or give it a double layer of foil. These can be placed directly onto the coals and only takes 10 minutes per side to cook. You can check if they’re done by pricking the veg through the foil with a toothpick. You can also combine it with couscous as a hot salad.
For a potato salad alternative, par boil potatoes in their skin, but don’t cook them too soft. Once done, cool completely. Cut the potatoes in half, season, pierce liberally (without piercing the skins) and lightly coat with oil. Place on grill and cook till you have grill marks.
If you still want potato salad, why not try a warm potato salad? Cook your potatoes and once done, cut into bit size pieces. While still hot, drench the potato pieces with your favourite salad dressing. Add a touch of the exotic by adding fresh pineapple pieces and crispy bacon bits.
Now that you are probably watering at the mouth and amped for your next braai, here is a braai condiment recipe to take your braai this Braai4Heritage Day to the next level!
Chimichurri Sauce
This is a very popular sauce accompaniment for all meats in Argentina. Once you’ve tried this easy, tasty sauce, it will become standard with all your braais.
Ingredients:
2 cups packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup packed fresh oregano leaves (or 4 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
Place parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (to taste) in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Process until finely chopped, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 1 minute total.
With the motor running, add oil in a steady stream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pulse a few times to combine. Transfer sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 1 day to allow the flavours to meld. Before serving, stir and season as needed. The chimichurri will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe from www.chow.com