Braai (Afrikaans)
noun - short for braaivleis (meat in Afrikaans)
verb - grill meat over an open fire
Pronounced - brrrrreeeeyee (really roll the ‘R’ there)
For those of you who don’t know, a braai means ‘roast’ or ‘barbecue’ in Afrikaans (one of South Africa’s official 11 languages) Unlike us Aussies, South Africans take a different approach to their barbies by cooking their meat and sides on an open fire using charcoal.
In reality, a braai and a barbecue are very different. In South Africa, a braai is a real event. It’s a ceremony where friends come together and pitch in to create the perfect meal enjoyed in nature. You’ll never see a SAFFER with a gas barbie!
A braai takes patience and commitment - getting the coals to the right temperature to cook the meat perfectly. South Africans take their braais pretty seriously. It’s a big social custom and something that they’re really proud of.
How to braai like a boss
Gather your supplies
You’ll need:
Kindling (twigs from the garden will do)
A fire-starter (bricks or newspaper)
Hard, dry logs of wood
A braai master cooking kit (long tongs and a sharp knife)
Light and maintain the fire
Use half of your kindling to build a mini bonfire, light it and place the logs of wood in a square around the fire. Add more kindling and continue to lay the logs until you have about four layers.
Maintaining the fire is the most challenging part. Make sure the fire has enough space to ‘breathe’. Stacking too much wood over the flame will kill it. Once the fire starts to burn through the wood, the wood will turn into pieces of coal, which can be moved to one side and kept warm for cooking.
After about 30 minutes you should have enough natural coal to start cooking your meat. Place your braai grid above the coals (close enough to cook the meat but not so close that you burn it). Grab the braai grid’s handle and flip the grid to cook the other side of the meat. Don’t flip the meat too much! Excessive flipping can squeeze moisture from the meat making it dry.
What sides go with a braai, mate?
Common braai salads include potato, green and bean salad (which is nothing new to us Aussies.) But if you’re looking for something really South African, try these…
Braai broodjies (cooked bread). Basically a toasted sandwich
Rates 5 out of 5 on Oz Braai, braai broodjies are just as popular in Australia as they are in South Africa. You’ll need:
12 slices of white bread
12 slices of cheese
White onion
Sliced tomatoes
Butter
Butter all sides of the bread and assemble the sandwiches. Pop the raw sandwich onto your braai grill and remove once the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.
South African yellow rice
You’ll need:
1 cup of basmati rice
2 teaspoons of oil
½ tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of turmeric
2 tablespoons of raisins
2 cups of water
Rinse the rice well. Place rice, turmeric sugar, oil and raisins into a pot and cook for 1 minute. Pour in just enough water to cook the rice so you don’t need to drain it.
South African peri-peri sauce
Did you know that Nandos came from South Africa? Yep. With Mozambique across the border, South Africa has Portuguese influence in their cuisine and is known for their Peri-Peri sauce. Duncan Welgemoed, the owner of Africola, has put his per peri recipe up for grabs HERE.
Keen to try a South African braai? Give it a go and upload your pics on socials tagging @adelaideoutdoorkitchens so we can see your work!
