Braai vs. BBQ

Ozzie_Isaac

A friend from South Africa sent this to me:

johnmitchell

Pic taken of a SA braai taken on my last visit. A braai is cooking meat over an open fire using wood as a heat source and not necessarily imparting any smoke taste. Boerewors is a sausage made up of a mix of pork and beef,spices include coriander salt pepper and garlic. Lamb is also very popular done on the braai.
Braaing in SA is the nations most popular pastime 😋

Ozzie_Isaac

johnmitchell said:

Pic taken of a SA braai taken on my last visit. A braai is cooking meat over an open fire using wood as a heat source and not necessarily imparting any smoke taste. Boerewors is a sausage made up of a mix of pork and beef,spices include coriander salt pepper and garlic. Lamb is also very popular done on the braai.
Braaing in SA is the nations most popular pastime 😋

Thank you for sharing!  That looks awesome.  I also find it interesting that they have a dish that appears to be named after the Boer Wars, which I believe were a failed bid at independence from the British Empire.

rifrench

Actually Boer refers to farmer, so it may be "farmer sausage".  Although named after the Boer War is okay in my book, too.  The Brits were not friendly to their colonials. It looks tasty!

Foghorn

@johnmitchell, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't braai also like our word barbecue in that is can be a noun that means the food or the grill - or a verb.

I'm going to barbecue some barbecue on the barbecue.

I'm going to braai some braai on the braai.

Thatgrimguy

One day I will own a South American Braai.  I've been obsessed with these units for years.

https://homefires.co.za/

Thatgrimguy

Foghorn said:

@johnmitchell, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't braai also like our word barbecue in that is can be a noun that means the food or the grill - or a verb.

I'm going to barbecue some barbecue on the barbecue.

I'm going to braai some braai on the braai.

That's the way I've always understood it. 

HeavyG

Thatgrimguy said:

One day I will own a South American Braai.  I've been obsessed with these units for years.

https://homefires.co.za/

If you do find yourself in South America looking for one ask for a "parilla" not a "braai". 

johnmitchell

Foghorn said:

@johnmitchell, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't braai also like our word barbecue in that is can be a noun that means the food or the grill - or a verb.

I'm going to barbecue some barbecue on the barbecue.

I'm going to braai some braai on the braai.

100% correct

thetrim

I have some family involved early on in the Comrades Marathon.  I'd love to get to South Africa for a visit.

Foghorn

thetrim said:

I have some family involved early on in the Comrades Marathon.  I'd love to get to South Africa for a visit.

@thetrim, definitely get there when you can.  It is a spectacular place to visit.  

Mark_B_Good

Thatgrimguy said:

One day I will own a South American Braai.  I've been obsessed with these units for years.

https://homefires.co.za/

After living in RSA for 12 years, getting married there, and having my 2 sons there ... I can without a doubt state that a braai is not about the hardware. It is about a fire, a grill and meat ... and mostly about doing it with lots of friends.

I just got my "camp fire grill" here in Canada, and we bought a grid for it ... and always have awesome braai's.  We also have a local butcher who makes awesome boerwors.  

The other thing you can do with a pit fire (the camp fire grill), is making potjiekos ... that's our subject of the day ... look it up.  I'll post some pictures in a bit.

paqman

Mark_B_Good said:

 potjekos ... that's our subject of the day ... look it up.  I'll post some pictures in a bit.

Is it safe to look this up from my work computer? Just making sure 😂

paqman

Mark_B_Good said:

 potjekos ... that's our subject of the day ... look it up.  I'll post some pictures in a bit.

Is it safe to look this up from my work computer? Or when my wife is looking at my screen? Just making sure 😂

Mark_B_Good

Here's a potjiekos on the fire pit I have. Note the friend. He was grabbing my man boob. Lol.

We also put a grid on this and make awesome braais.

Mark_B_Good

paqman said:

Mark_B_Good said:

 potjekos ... that's our subject of the day ... look it up.  I'll post some pictures in a bit.

Is it safe to look this up from my work computer? Just making sure 😂

Lol, yes. But I see it was spelt wrong,  corrected now. It's Potjiekos. 

SciAggie

@Mark_B_Good I bought a potjie pot a couple of years ago. I really enjoy it for making jambalaya over fire/coals. I think I’d get along with folks at a braai...

Thatgrimguy

HeavyG said:

Thatgrimguy said:

One day I will own a South American Braai.  I've been obsessed with these units for years.

https://homefires.co.za/

If you do find yourself in South America looking for one ask for a "parilla" not a "braai". 

I meant to say South African!! DOH

Mark_B_Good

Mark_B_Good said:

paqman said:

Mark_B_Good said:

 potjekos ... that's our subject of the day ... look it up.  I'll post some pictures in a bit.

Is it safe to look this up from my work computer? Just making sure 😂

Lol, yes. But I see it was spelt wrong,  corrected now. It's Potjiekos. 

By the way, for those who have only seen that word Potjiekos for the first time, it's pronounced poykeekos.  Braaii is pronounced bri (with a capital i) ... like the first syllable in Brian.

Mark_B_Good

SciAggie said:

@Mark_B_Good I bought a potjie pot a couple of years ago. I really enjoy it for making jambalaya over fire/coals. I think I’d get along with folks at a braai...

Nice, you should try one of my favorites which is lamb potjie.  

- Pour a bit of olive oil into the pot, and heat up, then fry some onions and garlic.

- Add in lamb meat (I like 2" cubes/pieces ... normally use a shoulder chop or cut up lamb steak) with your favorite seasoning (I like salt, pepper, rosemary and oregano). Cook until browned.  

- Remove the meat and onions/garlic mix and put aside.

- Add in some beef broth and cook baby potatoes and carats (your harder veg) until somewhat soft. 

- Before proceeding to next step, add some more beef broth to prevent from drying. Add in your lighter vegetables on top (I like snow peas, diced sweet peppers, sun dried tomatoes, brussels sprouts are good too) and DO NOT Stir ... let the steam percolate up from the potatoes and steam the vegetables. 

-When the lighter vegetables appear soft.  Add meat back in with fried onions/garlic, on top, and then fill the pot with tomato sauce puree. Get a good Italian basil sauce (not the crap from Walmart). It shouldn't be bitter. If necessary, you can add some apple juice to sweeten it up.

- Bring sauce to boil and taste ... check if it needs salt.

- Once ready, serve on steamed rice.

Trick is to control the temperature ... it's easy to burn under an open fire. Two embers close to the pot is often enough to cook in a reasonable time. It doesn't take more than 1.5h to cook this entire meal if the temperature is right.

SciAggie

@Mark_B_Good Thanks! I’ve watched some YouTube vids of folks making potjiekos. Can you explain the reasoning for layering the ingredients and not stirring? That seems to be emphasized by all who share their recipes. 

Mark_B_Good

Two reasons ... firstly is by stirring, everything will go mushy and just become one big blended unrecognizable mess.  For texture and appearance, it is best to not stir, and when you remove from pot, be delicate and cut the serving spoon through the entire depth of the pot, so you see the potatoes, vegetables and meat on your plate.

Second is ... you don't want the softer, easier to cook stuff at the bottom ... it will burn and again become mushy.  The idea is to get the stuff that takes longer to cook at the bottom of the pot, and the lighter stuff at the top, away from the intense heat. The pot acts as a steam cooker, and the steam condenses at the top and percolates through the layers to bring the flavor of the meat (at top) down through the vegetables and into the potatoes. The flavor is incredible.

SciAggie

@Mark_B_Good I will give it a try. Thank you.

johnmitchell

@Mark_B_Good Where do you live now?

Mark_B_Good

johnmitchell said:

@Mark_B_Good Where do you live now?

Toronto, Canada