Being able to braai is a South African 'artform' engrained into the minds of wannabe master braai-ers everywhere. There's even a show - The Ultimate Braai Master - that celebrates the culture of braai'ng, where teams of two compete against each other in various braai challenges across 13 episodes.
Though many have mastered the art of making the perfect braai over the years, some would rather watch how it's s done and enjoy the tasty results afterward. Of course, everyone has to learn and make mistakes, in the beginning, resulting in the chicken or chops looking a bit darker than usual.
'Bad' braais exist mainly because the chicken/meat has been left on too long or the coals are too hot, resulting in the food becoming overcooked or even burnt outside. Most people braai with charcoal, while others are very patient and do so with firewood.
If you're unsure about cooking times, Gumtree has put together a list of meat products and how long it usually has to stay on the coals:
Though many have mastered the art of making the perfect braai over the years, some would rather watch how it's s done and enjoy the tasty results afterward. Of course, everyone has to learn and make mistakes, in the beginning, resulting in the chicken or chops looking a bit darker than usual.
'Bad' braais exist mainly because the chicken/meat has been left on too long or the coals are too hot, resulting in the food becoming overcooked or even burnt outside. Most people braai with charcoal, while others are very patient and do so with firewood.
If you're unsure about cooking times, Gumtree has put together a list of meat products and how long it usually has to stay on the coals:
Chicken - Slow and steady wins the race. It should be braai'd over medium-heated coals for about 20-minutes turning the pieces regularly every 2-3 minutes, so they cook evenly. To be absolutely sure, you can also cut into the chicken and see whether it has cooked through, with no blood present.
Chops - They should be left on the coals, turning the pieces every 4 to 5 minutes onto each side for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the coals aren't too hot because between medium rare and medium is the ideal way (lamb) chops should be eaten.
Sausage - Wors is generally one of the quicker pieces of meat to reach preparation. They should be left on the coals for about 5 - 8 minutes (depending on the thickness) and turned around every 2 minutes to cook through. Cutting and eating a piece off the grill is the most used barometer.
Steak - Depending on the cut/thickness of the steak, the coals need to be hot to cook through the centre properly. Most people prefer it to be cooked medium, which can be achieved by leaving it to cook for about 10 minutes in total and 2 minutes on each side.
Make sure you are always tending to the braai and not wandering off because hot coals cook through meat quicker. Nobody wants to eat something that is burnt because it's not tasty.
Now that you’ve got the knowledge, it’s time to shop! Head to gumtree.co.za or your Gumtree app (click for Apple & Android) and don’t forget to use your location settings to find local service information close to home.
