Braai top tips
For South Africans, the ingredients for a top Braai are good food, good drink and good company. More than just a way of cooking, braaiing is a way of life, and its rare to see a braai with just a few people attending - when there is a braai happening, South Africans are keen to invite anybody and everybody to make a real occassion of it.
The South Africans won't let anything get in the way of a good Braai - not even the weather. Come rain or shine (though admittedly it's rather more shine), the show must go on. The Braai is almost the very epitome of the country's laid back outlook on life.
Here are some top tips to help your Braai go with an authentically South African swing...
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The traditional South African way to tell if the grill is hot enough is to hold your hand just over it, and count to ten. If you can leave your hand there longer, it's not warm enough yet. If you can't stand the heat for more than a couple of seconds, it's probably too hot. If you burn your hand you got too close...
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Braai everything! If it can be eaten then it can be cooked on the braai. For something a little different, try cooking Ostrich. Ostrich meat looks and tastes like beef but with an added bonus – it’s cholesterol free. Ostrich is available from many large quality supermarkets. Also be sure to try braaiing some fresh fish.
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Get the kids involved and show them how they can help. In South Africa, getting involved in preparing and cooking on the braai is almost a rite of passage - families hand braaiing methods and skills down from generation to generation, and braais will often become special father/child bonding time!
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Stock up on beer! The number one Braai drink is a good cold beer, traditionally 'Castle' or 'Windhoek'. A glass of South African Shiraz is also a suitable drink for a braai if wine is your favourite tipple.
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Make lots of salad - beetroot salad, cold bean salad, potato salad, carrot salad or grilled sweet potatoes are popular. A side dish of crubled cornmeal will go down well too.
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Marinade the meat for as long as possible before the Braai. Typically this results in meat that’s bursting with flavour and so tender it falls off the bones!
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Last but not least, hold a “bring and braai” party, a very popular activity in South Africa. If you don’t fancy forking out lots of money on meat, or perhaps don't have time to do everything yourself - enlist the help of friends and family. Get everyone invited to bring one dish - be it meat, vegetables, salad or even dessert. This ensures a wide variety of food to suit all tastes, and means everybody can take pride in the collective feast provided!
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