Eight steps to the perfect braai
Who doesn’t love a good braai? South
Africans don’t need an excuse to get a braai going and just about every
occasion is the perfect time for one.
Spice up your braai with our tips for what works best for different meats.
1. Chicken: Salt is a must. Also try Chicken Spice and Coarse Black Pepper. You can also use rosemary and paprika.
2. Beef steak: Try a barbeque or traditional braai mix. Make sure you apply shortly before your meat goes on the braai so that it does not draw the moisture out of your steak.
3. Pork: Ginger, cumin, rosemary, and coriander are good for pork chops.
4. Marinade: Marinating your meat will add more flavour and depth to it. Basting while it’s cooking will also help prevent drying out your meat.
5. Keep it clean: Clean your braai grid. You can use a brush, or half a lemon or raw onion to scrub it down while it’s on the fire.
6. Follow an order: One does not simply put meat on the braai without doing it in the right order. Chicken takes the longest, so do that first. Steak is the quickest, so you can save that for last. Everything else can be done in between. Garlic bread can be tricky, if you’re going to do it on the coals, put it on towards the end, if it’s going to be done on slow heat, put it on the grid when you’re halfway through.
7. Lose the fork: Never use a fork to handle meat on the braai. Forks pierce the meat and you’ll lose all that delicious juiciness. A good pair of braai tongs should be in your braai inventory.
8. Time your steak: The perfect steak is medium rare and should only be on the fire for seven minutes. Two minutes a side, then 1 ½ minutes a side, and repeat. Want to double check? Press the tip of your thumb to your index finger, press the area just underneath your thumb – that’s what a medium rare steak feels like. If your steak is softer than that, it’s leaning towards rare, any harder and it’ll be heading towards well done.
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