The South African Braai - How to have that perfect BraaiVleis

Please be advised that the content of this blog is not for sensitive readers.  If you are a vegetarian by any means please do not read any further.

Any South African worth their (braai) salt will tell you that boerewors, rugby and sunny skies are the essentials of a proudly African braai. Add tangy potato salad, a couple of juicy steaks and a group of friends to share it with, and you’ve got a recipe for an irresistibly delicious, fun-filled feast!

General Motors - South Africa used the term in the 1970s in its localized jingle "Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies, and Chevrolet" to advertise their cars in South Africa —equivalent to the slogan "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet" in the US and, to a lesser extent, "football, meat pies, kangaroos & Holden Cars" used in Australia.

Announcer: "Hey, South Africa, what's your favourite food?"
Crowd: "Braaivleis!"
Announcer: "Sport?"
Crowd: "Rugby!"
Announcer: "Weather?"
Crowd: "Sunshine!"
Announcer: "Car?"
Crowd: "Chevrolet!"
Announcer: "All together?"
Crowd (singing): Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet! Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet! They go together, in the good old RSA. Braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet!

The word braaivleis is the Afrikaans word for “grilled meat." And that is something most South Africans do on a Saturday Afternoon.  The word braai (plural braaie) is Afrikaans for "barbecue" or "grill". The word vleis is Afrikaans for "meat".

I found the following on a website and had to post it. My thoughts and comments is in bold and in red.

Top 10 braai tips

“By Jan Braai | Published July 15, 2010

Earlier today a journalist asked me for my top 10 braai tips. Considering that I did not have such a list of tips, I sucked them out of my thumb. Here they are:

1.    Nothing beats a real wood fire. (That is so true it adds flavour to the meat and they guys feel all manly standing by the fire)

2.    Gas is Afrikaans for a guest at your braai, not something you braai with. (That is something that is true to South African nature that when we braai its never for one person the more the merrier).

3.    Braaing is the only fat-negative way of cooking food. Even when you steam it, the fat in the food stays behind. When you braai, the fat drips out. (This is the only fat that I do eat as it goes so nice and crispy – best eaten hot off the fire. I know this is not healthy but heck its lekka)

4.    Never braai with indigenous wood. Alien vegetation like Rooikrantz and Blackwattle drink lots of ground water and besides, it’s good burning Australian rubbish. (My hubby love Rooikrantz wood as it burns really well and makes lovely coals.)

5.    Braaing is a direct form of energy use, from the coals, to your meat. With conventional electricity there is a lot spillage between the power plant, power lines, electricity box, wires, stove and pan. If you love the earth, braai. (We all want to do our bit for the plant and this way we not only are we saving energy but also getting rid of alien plant species.)

6.    Have enough ice at your braai. To put in Klipdrift & Coke, to keep Castles cold, and to treat burn wounds with.

7.    Smoke flies to pretty people, so send them to the kitchen to go and make salad. (Cleary this article was written by a man – as the men believe they braai the meat they are giving the ladies a night off but who ends up making the salads, preparing the meat for the braai – us woman – o well such is life… LOL)

8.    Animals eat grass, leaves and vegetables all their lives and convert it to meat. Eating meat is like eating vitamin pills.

9.    A cow must only be killed once. Do not braai you steak until the flavour is dead. (I never used to eat my meat raw – those were my thoughts when I used to see a pink steak – but now there is nothing nicer than a medium steak.  It’s juicy, succulent and has so much flavour. Its sacrilege to eat a well done steak.)

10. A braaibroodjie (toasted sandwich which is done on the fire) is your chance in life to have you bread buttered on both sides. (There is nothing nicer than a toastie on the side – cheese, tomato, onions and either chutney or apricot jam…. Hmmmm yummmmy!!!)

For More South African Recipes Check this Site out - Thank you for the usage of your braai broodjies pictures!

Here is some REAL handy tips the next time you braai - I normally leave the braaing for the men.  I also like to make sure the salads, meat, and other side dishes are all completed before we braai so I to can sit back relax by the fire with nice glass of wine.

Purchasing the best quality meat you can find, and if it is Lazy aged the better. Ageing your meat not only tenderises it, but also greatly enhances its flavour.

For the tastiest, most tender fare, marinate your meat overnight. This allows the meat to become infused with the rich flavour of the marinade. If you’re unable to marinate overnight, allow the meat marinade a few hours before braaing. Be careful if you use meat tenderizer or marinade that is meat tenderizing properties try not to allow it to marinade for too long as the meat tends to have a floury texture. Always store meat (marinated or not) in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. The same will apply if you use lemon juice – don’t allow it to stand overnight or leave to long as it will cook your meat.

If you’re braaiing with wood or coal, use fuel that produces long-lasting coals. Begin braaiing your meat only once the flames have died down and the embers are white-hot in colour. The grid, preferably non-stick or coated in non-stick spray, must be hot before the meat is placed onto it, and should be positioned roughly 10 centimeters above the coals. A simple way to test if the coals is ready or not is to hold your hand above the embers for the count of 10. If you have to pull your hand away before you reach 10, the coals are still too hot. If you can comfortably hold your hand over the coals for much longer than the count of 10, the embers are too cool. In this case, lower the grid, or add more coal or fire to create fresh, hotter embers.

There is nothing worse than eating chicken and then its still raw in the centre. Its not good. A really cheat way to braai chicken that is juicy, succulent and full of flavour is to zap it in the microwave / par boil for 10-20minutes  and then put a lovely marinading sauce over it for another 30min before you stick it on the braai. The trick is to have the fire just right not to hot otherwise the outside will be black and inside pink.

One of our secrets to succulent meat is to seal it. Once the meat has been put on the fire you wait 2 minutes. Turn and wait another 2 minutes. The secret is then not to turn the meat to many times. Work on 7 minutes on each side. It must be a nice golden colour before flipping.

I never add salt to my meat before cooking as it results in toughness and dryness. If you need to season with salt rather do it once it has been cooked.

Braais are not just for cooking meat! You can also prepare mielies, potatoes, braai broodjies and other delicious goodies over the coals. Ensure that when you cover these items with tin foil, the shiny side is facing inwards. Use thick, heavyweight foil to prevent food from burning. Vegetable sosaties (kebabs) is also a lovely option if you are looking for some veggies on the side) Heck one can even do dessert on the braai.  Friends of ours the one time made this most amazing and indulgent pudding by taking couple of bananas and slit the peel along the inner curve. Filled them with slices of BarOne chocolate and, if you like, a dash of Amarula cream . Wrap the bananas tightly in tin foil and place on the braai until the peel is dark brown in colour. Unwrap the banana carefully and serve with ice-cream. You can do apples with sugar, cinnamon and rum. So many options… Lekker!