The beginner's guide on how to avoid Braai Day fails
Braai Day is here, and to save you from embarrassment, we have a beginner's guide on what to avoid doing tomorrow.
With Braai Day around the corner, equipping yourself with the necessary tools is vital.
We all know that one friend or family member who's the self-proclaimed braai master, but only ends up burning the braai meat. Given that braai is one of our proud traditions in South Africa, especially on Heritage Day, we owe it to ourselves to raise the standard. Braai Day is not just about throwing meat on the fire; it's a celebration of culture, community and the humble chop!
The video that motivated us to share this beginner's guide shows two friends failing at their braai mission when they placed frozen boerewors on cold coal. The situation went from bad to worse when the two young women tried to rescue the burnt wors with baby wipes by "cleaning it".
Check out the video below from Instagram, which had South Africans ready to "revoke their citizenship" and their braai privileges.
Read more: How to braai the perfect piece of meat...
We put together a few pointers to prevent the above from happening to you this Braai Day.
How to start a braai?
Starting a braai is easy for a seasoned "braai master". But for a beginner, it takes some planning.
- Get coal—Instant Lite charcoal is always a better option, as starting up doesn't take as long. New things are on the market, but it's best to leave these to the professionals. The best part about Instant Lite is that you don't need to add firelighters to the coal.
- If you use a braai stand, ensure you have an onion to clean the grid. Also, ensure you have braai tongs, a pot lid, a dishcloth, or an old rag. The braai tongs turn the meat, the dishcloth or rag holds the braai stand if you need to move based on the wind direction, and the lid is used as a bellow to get the charcoal going.
- Get your meat or veggies ready for the braai.
How do you know when to put the meat on the braai?
When the fire fully sets into the charcoal, you can add your meat to the braai. Preparing the coal for the braai takes roughly 45 minutes.
Remember, if the fire is too hot, the meat won't cook properly (depending on how you eat your meat, you have to judge the fire accordingly).
Don't flip your meat too often.
How to buy meat for a braai?
You can choose between readymade braai packs from your local grocery store or butchery, or buy fresh meat and marinate it yourself. If you prefer your meat without marinade, simply add salt and pepper to taste and cook it on the braai.
Salt helps draw out the moisture from the meat, so salting it before you braai will help it cook better. If you like your meat caramelised, you can always sprinkle some brown sugar onto it. The sugar won't make your meat sweet, but instead burns away and leaves it golden brown.
Ask your butcher what cut of meat is best for a braai. Depending on your preference, the options usually include loin chops for lamb, sirloin steak, rib-eye steak, riblets, rump steak and whole fillet steak.
The main thing to remember is that braai-ing shouldn't be rushed. It's not just about eating juicy pieces of chops, but rather about the conversations and culture around the braai stand.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
- Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
- Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
- Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
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