B ISSUE # 1
August 2014
raai365 TONGS AT HAND
Mat takes you through the year that was Braai 365. The highs, lows and everything in between.
Lets Potjie
Simple recipes to throw in your potjie
Funds for our Rhino
A look at where the money from the year has gone
Mats Letter
Braai every day for a year in the UK. The challenge was completed but I never would have done it without the kind words, donations to our Rhino and support of everyone that followed me. Everyone I’ve met after the challenge has firstly asked am I sick of lighting up, the answer to that of course is a resounding NO, and secondly they’ve asked what’s next? Well that’s a very broad question, and the answer can be simplified down to “I will carry on” (maybe just not every day!)
Hey All! First of all a massive thanks for buying the first edition of my magazine. As you probably all know it took a bit longer to get it out than I expected but it’s here at last! I will apologise in advance for any typos, no matter how many people spell check this, there will always be a few. But I’m running off a shoe string to make as much for charity as possible! My dream is simple from here on in, bring the braai to the rest of the world, raise funds for worthwhile charities and never forget to have fun along the way! Thanks also to all that have followed me, enjoyed the jokes, braai’s and of course helped to raise money in my challenge to
This has never been a short term goal, and I am looking long term and hoping to bring the braai to the world. Yes, people barbecue in most places, but they just don’t braai! Supermarket burgers and porkies just doesn’t feel like a braai in my eyes, and the thought of getting it over and done with as quickly as possible to ‘tick’ the summer box just makes me feel wrong! So I hope you enjoy this first edition, feel free to share it as much as you want. Or get someone to buy the edition, with every edition sold a full £1 is going to our beloved rhino and to Foodbank SA, so we’re helping and having a bit of fun. I would welcome any suggestions that can make this magazine better! So thanks to everyone and I hope you enjoy it!! Mat Hartley
BRAAI 365 1
Contents
4 Mats Year
Read about a full year on the tongs
10 Steak
Braai it perfect every time
12 Beef on the braai Beef Recipes
16 Our Africa Our Pride Mat on Our Wildlife
2 Braai 365
19 Hluhluwe iMfolozi Some pics and details
20 Fund Raising
Where the money has gone in the past year
23 Let’s Potjie 4 Recipes in the pot
28 Africa, this is why I live here
Steak stuffed with feta Page 14
The lighter side of Africa
30 Something Fishy Fish Recipes for Summer
37 Chicken Matters A few of my favorites from the year
45 Pork ribs
Spicy pork ribs on the braai
My Perfect Steak Page 10
46 Pizza Braai Throwing a pizza on
45 What’s next? What’s next for Braai365?
Braai Pie BRAAI 365 3 Page 40
365 days on the Tongs The following few pages explain my year in a nutshell. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed completing the challenge!
Michelle and I at the final Braai in GJ’s London 4 Braai 365
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365 Days on the Tongs
thing that was close to my heart. As most of you are aware, the Rhino population is dwindling at an astonishing rate and I thought I would do my small bit for the incredible animals back home. So I decided to do Braai365 to raise money for Save the Rhino International.
The Lead up As I sit down to write what it was like for the year that was Braai365, it’s kind of hard to put it all into words over 4 pages. I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a long year. I know many people braai every day anyway, but to record it and also try to raise money was the hardest part. This is the story of my year and hopefully it’s good enough that you read it through to the end.
The Challenge Pretty simple, intelligent and stupid all at the same time (parents must have dropped me as a child!). Have a Braai every day for 365 days in the UK come rain or shine. People often ask how did I come up with the idea and the answer is like most strange ideas, after a few beers around a braai. I was making the point that we could definitely braai every day across this side of the pond, after someone said that it’s not a winter sport. And so the concept of Braai365 was conceived. The next day I registered the domain and Braai365 was born. This all happened about 2 years before I actually started.
So the final decision was made on my annual trip back home and the date was set for the 18th May 2013 to begin my braai challenge. A quick check with work to see if they wouldn’t mind. They were happy enough as they made sure it would only take place out of work hours. Then came the shelter and braai area. In London we are pretty limited for space, and I knew it would rain or snow during the year. So I erected a small deck and my shelter (a £15 gazebo from homebase) The ‘shelter ‘ is still standing today, and I have no clue how it got through the winter, getting battered most nights by the wind and rain. In terms of braai equipment, I searched for a sponsor and CADAC UK came on board and sponsored some kit.
So for the next 2 years that’s all I really spoke about. At dinner parties, pubs and of course around the braai. I spoke about it so much that Mich (my better half, with far too much patience) eventually got fed up and said I had to do it! So now I had to think of what to do it for. I knew I wouldn’t see it through to the end (or miss a day) if it wasn’t for someMy first interview with eNews 6 Braai 365
to go until the end! But the klippies, beer and wine went down like a home sick mole and we had a long ‘kuier’ (chat) about the year that would follow. Braai 365 was launched, happy days!
Challenges It’s hard to write about this, because I did have a great year, but it’s a question that has been asked a few times, and that’s what were the challenges? So below are my biggest challenges of the year.
Lighting up on Day 365
So all was set for the year ahead and life was looking peachy!
Charcoal/wood I had to include this section, because one main thing about the challenge was that it had to be done on charcoal/briquettes or wood. The main reason being the fact that cooking on gas is like cooking on a stove. Let’s all face it, I couldn’t call it braai365 if I did it on an outdoor stove. Good marketers have actually convinced people that you can braai on gas. To me, this is completely false, it’s an outdoor stove, nothing more, nothing less (As you can tell I’m pretty passionate about that!). The braai is part of our culture, binds us together and whilst I’ve travelled brings me home with a strike of a match (outdoor stoves don’t have the same effect)
Starting So the 18th May came pretty quickly and the invite went out to all of my friends to come over for the lighting of Braai365. The first strike went well and only then did it sink in that there were 364 more
The first few months were probably the toughest of the challenge as a new routine set in. Finding things to braai was also pretty challenging considering that I have never been to a cooking class and my previous experience with cooking was simply cracking open a can or tin of sauce and throwing it in with some meat. So recipes and learning how to braai different food was probably the most challenging aspect of the whole year. Trust me if I could have had steak and boerie the whole year I would have (I just don’t know if I would have still been around!) But it was a learning curve that I think I am starting to master. The chocolate cake I made for Mich’s birthday was probably one of the better masterpieces of the year! Another challenge I had was in the media. Obviously raising money for what I think is a great cause was the main goal of the year and I think we did pretty well. What I wasn’t expecting was the hate mail I received from people, who I now call ‘keyboard ninjas’. To some, raising money for an animal by (in their words) killing animals is idiotic. In fairness I never thought of it that way, however there is a vast difference in the reasons we farm and also the way in which the animals are killed, and of course a huge difference in the reason! This was pretty tough to deal with in BRAAI 365 7
I know my biggest highlight over the year was so many people getting behind the challenge. It was a great opportunity to meet Africans both at events and also those that followed me online. I couldn’t have imagined meeting so many people who shared the passion I have about our wildlife and of course our braai culture, and that has to be the best part of the year.
Braai at Allianz park - Home of the Saracens
the beginning, but I soon realised that everyone is entitled to their opinion. It did however change the way I see our food getting on our plate and I now do my best to buy ethically raised meat (although that’s not always guaranteed, I do my best!)
I still remember holding the first event and selling out a few days before. I honestly didn’t expect to sell anywhere near the amount of tickets that we did, but it turned out to be one awesome day, which was closely followed by the potjie day (admittedly 50kg’s of beef shouldn’t go in 10 potjies) I also attended a few events thanks to Braai365. One being the Saracens v Sharks game, which Sanlam invited me to. It didn’t end well for our boys but again I got to meet some great people and sampled a few beers! Following on from that was the braai I did up at the Saracens ground after their captains practice. I braai’d up 80 sirloin steaks for the guys outside of the players lounge.
The last real challenge was the early mornings before conferences. I have never really been an early riser, but waking up at 4am to light a braai isn’t ideal in mid winter. I am pretty glad those days are behind me (well for now anyway) Other than that I honestly cannot think of any other challenges or negatives about the year, and I don’t regret anything about it at all!
Highlights So onto my highlights, and honestly there are far too many for just two pages. If we do meet I will tell you more, but I’ve listed a few things below.
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There is no better site in the world!
the year my spices and sauces revolved around salt and pepper, and I had virtually no clue about food. In the end I’ve got a full spice draw, and I think my knowledge about food has increased a bit (still a lot to learn!) and hopefully it’s proven with the recipes that follow.
Wrap Up So that’s a bit about the year that was Braai365. I hopefully made a few Saffas proud and the £7000 we raised together went towards saving our Grey Unicorn. The challenge however for our rhino and our wildlife will not stop here though, and there’s still a lot of work to be done in the future. The Final Braai
Talk about a braai with a view! Paris was another few braais that stick out in my mind, simply getting charcoal and a fold up braai on the Eurostar was great. And then of course having a braai in Paris for 3 days was a pretty awesome! Then there was the Braai 365 marriage (well I’m claiming it) where Gregg and Lisa met at the first event. Proving that a braai really does bring people together!
Last of all, I can’t thank you enough for your support and encouragement in the year. I can’t thank you all individually but wish I could. If I didn’t get to meet you during the Braai365 year, I sincerely hope we meet in the future! I think Braai365 South Africa has a great ring to it :)
Being in the media was also something new to me and the gratitude I have for all those that helped me out cannot be explained! If it wasn’t for the media I don’t think this challenge would’ve raised half the money it did, and it was a bit strange getting photographed and put on video. A very new and awesome experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. The last highlight for me was learning a lot more about food and what works together. It sounds stupid to say that because of the challenge I did, but before
Challenge complete!
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The Perfect Steak
Steak Medium Rare In my challenge, I’ve probably had steak about half of the time, and after a few tests of different methods this is the best way to cook steak. Obviously everyone has their own method....I’m just sharing mine! Buying steak (UK) My first part of braaing the perfect steak starts at the butcher. I always go to a reputable butcher and ask a few questions before buying it. They may lie the first few times.....never go back! But the following things are NB for me. - Has the meat been produced ethically? Has the cow been in the field, grazing and having an awesome life. Corn fed cow is a big no for me. - How long has it been matured? Anything over 21 days is good, but 28 days is great! - How thick? 3cm works best for me, but nothing under 2.5 - Which meat? This is a personal preference for everyone, but sirloin, rump & rib eye are my favorites. - How much? This ranges from butchers and country......but if the above questions are answered then expect to pay upwards of £20 a kg.
Preparation 15 Minutes before, throw some coarse sea salt and a bit of pepper on. This is simply for a bit of flavour. Why no marinade? Why buy expensive meat? If you want to marinade your steak, buy cheap steak and marinade it for a few days.
2.5cm = 5 minutes either side 3cm = 6 minutes either side Once cooked on both sides (so just one turn), get some tin foil (shiny side in) ready and place the steak directly onto it, and wrap it up. This will act as an oven for all the juices to settle and also it will carry on cooking.
For medium rare
Braai Time
Leave it to rest for the same amount you cooked each side (3cm = 6 minutes in foil)
Make sure the coals have turned white and you have an extremely high heat (you can just hold your hand over the grill for 3 seconds)
For Medium
Throw the steak on and here’s my trick for a medium rare steak to medium.
(3cm = 12 minutes...although only did medium once) Take it out and cut into a beautiful steak!
**A lot of people don’t like it medium rare, but again what is the point of spending the money on a good steak. Whatever thickness your steak is, multiply the number by 2 and cook on either side for that many minutes.
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Braai Burgers Firstly, people may ask how I could possibly put burgers on the braai! Personally I don’t mind home made burgers, but I never throw burgers from a supermarket on my braai Ingredients -
500g of minced beef 1 Onion 1 Tbsp Olive oil 1 Tbsp Mustard 1 Tsp Mixed herbs Salt to flavour
Extras Add in your extra favorites, but I like to throw in some lettuce, guacomole, tomato and cheese. But everyone has their preference.
Method - Finely chop the onions - Warm up a pan and fry the onions with the oil. (what you want is for the onions to turn brown and soft)
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- Take out of the pan and allow to cool - Mix the spices, meat, mustard in a mixing bowl - Once the onions are cool, add them to the bowl and mix - Place in the fridge for 1 hour - Remove from the fridge and roll mixture into six balls - Flatten to the thickness you like
Braai Time - Braai these on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes (depending on how you like you burgers done) - 5 minutes before the end, throw some cheese on the top of the burger to melt (I love my cheese burgers!) - Enjoy!
Beef Roast It’s Sunday, the families coming over and the better half is complaining that you can’t have a braai....you wonder what she’s on about, but to keep the peace you suggest a beef roast. That suddenly makes sense....job done! Ingredients -
Beef roast 6 Carrots 1 Aubergine 1 Pepper 1 Red Onion 1 Onion Black pepper Olive Oil
Method - Cut the onions into large portions - Slice the carrots and peppers length ways - Slice the aubergine - Place all the ingredients into a roasting tray - Rub the beef with olive oil and place on top of the vegetables - Grind the black pepper to cover the roast
- Wait until they turn white and then place the tray in the centre of the grill for indirect cooking. - Cook for approximately one hour with the kettle lid on. - Testing when beef is cooked can be quite tricky down to the fact that the cut can vary. So if you are going to braai often grab a meat thermometer. Place this in the thickest part of the meat. For a general guide the temperature should measure around : 55 - 65 - Rare 65 - 70 - Medium > 75 - Well done
Braai Time - Separate your coals on either side of the kettle braai.
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Feta and Rocket Rolled Steak Bit of a different one here, and may get lynched for this one. But got the idea from a butcher and came out really nicely! Ingredients -
2 Rump or Sirloin steaks Feta Rocket String soaked in water
Method - Grab the beef and tenderise (can’t believe I am writing that about steak!) - Slice up some rocket and break the feta - Lay the rocket and feta on one side of your steak - Roll the steak and secure with the string (I tie these at the top and bottom)
Braai Time - You want both direct and indirect for this one. - The coals should be on a very high heat to begin with. Throw the steak on direct heat, and braai until the outside are has browned. (3 minutes should do it) - Place on indirect heat and put the lid on your kettle braai - Leave for 15 minutes on the braai with no need to turn - Remove from the grid and allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve.
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Our Africa our Pride How can any African kill an animal for greed. As an African I grew up learning about our wildlife and how important it is to preserve it. South Africa is famous for it’s incredible wildlife and the conservation efforts that have enabled people from around the globe to enjoy visiting our incredible country. But if we took a moment to fast forward a generation from now, will we have any wildlife? The year of Braai365 was to help one specific part of our wildlife and that is our Rhino. I’m sure you are aware, but as the year progressed there were 1004 rhinos poached in 2013 and as I write this well over 500 have been poached this year so far. At this rate how much longer will we have rhino in Africa?
So how do we stop this? The answer is far to complex to answer and the debate too messy. Sitting here in the comfort of my home I can’t offer too much advice as I am not on the front line. What I hope to do is try to help in some small way, whether through awareness or through monetary donations. Through the year I received many emails and of course had many conversations around the braai about the subject. We spoke at length about how many poachers were arrested or killed, and why this is happening on our shores. Whilst arresting poachers is a great answer, I don’t believe we can win this without cutting demand, or by somehow controlling the demand. For every poacher we have another one waiting in the wings. Money is a powerful tool but it also has the ability to corrupt man, which is pretty evident in this war. My belief is that the answer exists within the space between the ears of the men and women demanding our rhino horn. 16 Braai 365
I believe this is where the real problem lies. People are being brought up in a culture so far removed from the one we have, and thinking that the horn has medicinal properties. They see the result, which is a simple powder. And like a placebo, the mind is a powerful tool to convince them that the ‘drug’ has an effect on them. Remember the poachers are not the cause they are simply a symptom of the system. They do not have the education that we’ve benefited from. Too often they are simply pawns shuffled around under very complex, greedy and now rich syndicates. Please don’t get me wrong here, I, completely oppose poaching, but we need to understand the enemy before we can fight them. Remember our fellow Africans would not find the need to poach if there was zero demand. But will there be a day where there is zero demand? I have no clue, and am not optimistic about that happening, but for now we need to have hope that there will be! I can’t emphasise enough how vital it is that as Africans and world citizens, wherever we find ourselves, whether we’re returning or visiting. We all need to make a small difference to help maintain our wildlife. Debates will continue on legalising the horn, and both sides of the argument have their merits. But whilst this continues we all need to do our fair share to protect these beautiful creatures, so generations to come can get to experience these grey unicorns in their natural habitat. So my small piece of advice is that we can all make a difference. Get involved, the threat to our wildlife is now, not tomorrow, not next week or month, it’s this very moment. We can choose to sit back and do nothing, blame the government and make excuses. Or we can choose to make a difference today. From the words of the great Desmond Tutu “Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
BRAAI 365 17 Photos courtesy of Š Paul Boreham
Buffalo
Blue Wildebeest
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Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Lioness after a kill
Photos courtesy of Š Paul Boreham
Photos courtesy of © Paul Boreham
Hlulhuwe iMfolozi I was lucky enough to grow up in Kwazulu Natal, where we have many reserves and incredible scenery. From the beautiful beaches of the North and South coast to the incredible mountains of the Drakensberg, I believe it’s one of the greatest parts of SA. (I’m pretty biased) I still remember seeing my first Rhino on a guided walk on a school trip (no way that would happen in the UK, with health and safety!) and learning the importance of our wildlife. I also had the chance to visit Hlulhuwe iMfolozi, the great nature reserve, which is the oldest proclaimed reserve in Africa, and makes up approximately 960km’s² of land in Zululand. Due to its incredible conservation effort they hold a great number of our Rhino
and are home to the Big 5. So all in all I am pretty proud to have this nature reserve in the province I call home. The war, like everywhere in the country rages on within the park and they are in serious need of more funds. Save the Rhino Int. gives directly to this park and the funds raised through the year went towards gearing up on anti poaching equipment. If you are planning a visit to Natal, make sure you get up to the reserve or any reserve for that matter. Our presence in the park can deter poachers and of course the increase in gate sales will further protect our wildlife. What’s more, like in most parks in SA, go on a self drive, pull into a designated picnic spot and light up a braai. Nothing can beat that! BRAAI 365 19
Fund Raising The fund raising efforts have revolved around events and Just Giving. In total we raised just over £7000, of which £6200 went to Save the Rhino Int. and the remainder of £800 went to WESSA (Wildlife association of South Africa) to buy a drone in the Eastern Cape
Save the Rhino Int.
WESSA
Save the Rhino International works to conserve viable populations of critically endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia. We recognise that the future of wildlife is inextricably linked to the communities that share its habitat. By funding field projects and through education, our goal is to deliver material, long-lasting and widespread benefits to rhinos and other endangered species, ecosystems and to the people living in these areas.
WESSA (the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa) is a South African environmental organisation with a mission to implement high impact environmental and conservation projects which promote public participation in caring for the Earth.
Aims - To increase the number of rhinos in genetically viable populations in the wild - To enhance the integrity of ecosystems - To ensure that local communities benefit from conservation activities
For more information on Save the Rhino International please visit their website on www.savetherhino.org
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With a remarkable 88 year history, WESSA has a strong track record of delivering human capacity development projects by working in strategic partnerships, thus enabling people to make more sustainable lifestyle and environmental management choices. Critical focus areas include life-supporting eco-systems such as water, energy and biodiversity.
For more information on Save the Rhino International please visit their website on www.wessa.org.za
Events If you attended any of my events in the year of Braai 365, I’d like to really thank you for enjoying each day with me. I tried to meet everyone that did come down, but sometimes I was running around trying to get the boerie rolls or stressing about my potjie (yep it was nowhere near my normal standard!!) but I did have fun along the way! So thank you!
First event We had close on 450 South Africans turn up on the day after selling out, and for the first event was very well supported. It was a good game of rugby that day, and for our Rhino a good result!
Hangi v Potjie A big thank you from me and our rhino to the Kiwis who put in a huge amount of effort for the day. Danni and Leon, you guys ran around for weeks before and the Kiwi team beat us both on the pitch and the flames. 2014 however will be ours to take! We had 300 people come down to GJ’s again for a great party! I’m looking forward to the results of the next Hangi v Potjie day.
The final Braai I rounded the events off once again at GJ’s, the only pub that would let me braai in London and also close down for us. I threw 400 boerie on during the day and had two spit roasts and still managed to run out of food!! How did that happen? With the Saffa beer sold out, the music on and the challenge over, we had a great party and was an great end to an awesome year. Thank you all for attending and I hope to see you at another fundraiser in the future! Make sure you follow me on facebook to keep up to date in the future! www.facebook.com/braai365
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Let’s Potjie The potjie is an artform that every person should learn to master. I’ve included 4 recipes over the next few pages for you to try.
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Irish Potjie I made this for St. Paddys day during the year, and after reading about a proper Irish stew I adjusted it for the potjie. Apparently we get it wrong by adding Guinness, rather just drink it. The fat from the cutlets or chops makes an awesome gravy, so throw either in the mix! Ingredients
Potjie time
-
- Drink some Guinness - Add some olive oil to the pot - Brown the lamb in the potjie - Remove the lamb - Throw the onions and brown - Throw in the pearl barley, spring onions and place the lamb so that you can add in the stock - Drink some Guinness - Add the stock so it covers most of the lamb - Allow to simmer for 2 hours - Add the potatoes, carrots and Bay leaves - Drink the Guinness - Allow to simmer for 3 hours.
4 Lamb Cutlets Fresh Coriander 3 Bay leaves 2 Carrots 5 Medium Potatoes 2 Stems Spring Onion 1 Cup Pearl Barley 200 - 500ml Lamb Stock Guinness (to drink)
Preparation - Peel the carrots and cut into smaller pieces - Slice the spring onions into 1mm pieces - Cut the potatoes into quarters - Slice the onion - Slice the fresh coriander - Mix the lamb stock with the boiling water
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**Serve up with rice
Chicken and Apricot A very simple recipe for a quick potjie (yep this one is only an hour, so great for after work!) Ingredients
Potjie time
-
- Add some olive oil to the pot - Brown the chicken in the pot - Remove the chicken - Throw the onions and brown - Throw in the peppers and cook till soft - Add all the spices and mix - Add the garlic - Add the chicken and stock - Allow to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes - Add the tomatoes and apricots - Allow to simmer for 30 minutes
0.5kg Strips of Chicken 2 Tomatoes 1 Onion 1 Pepper 1 Can halved Apricots 1 Garlic clove 1 Tsp Turmeric powder 1 Tsp Cinnamon powder 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds 250 ml Chicken stock
Preparation - Slice the onions, tomatoes and Pepper - Grind the garlic - Mix the chicken stock with the water - Drain the apricots
**Serve up with couscous mixed with green beans
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Beef Curry with Mango I love my Curry and throwing one in the potjie pot makes it extra special. Like with all curries you can replace the beef with any other meat. Ingredients
Potjie time
-
- Add some olive oil to the pot - Brown the beef cubes - Remove the beef from the pot - Throw the onions in and brown - Add all the spices and mix - Add the beef and Beef stock - Allow to simmer on low heat for 4 hours - Add the mango, tomatoes & Chutney - Allow to simmer for 45 minutes - Test and add yoghurt to taste (often some people may find it too hot, and this will allow for that)
0.5kg Diced Beef 1 Mango 2 Garlic Cloves 2 Onions Beef Stock Cube 200ml Boiling water Can of Cherry tomatoes
(substitute with fresh cherry tomatoes)
- 1 Tbsp Flour - 300 ml Natural Yoghurt - Olive oil - 0.5 Cup Mrs. Balls Chutney - 1 Tsp Ground Coriander - 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp Turmeric Powder - 1 Tsp Mixed Masala - 5 De seeded, crushed cardamom pods
**Serve up with rice, naan bread and some bananas.
Preparation
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- Slice the onions - Crush the garlic - Cut the mango into 2cm cubes - Drain the juice from the cherry tomatoes - Crush the beef stock cube in the boiling water - Mix the beef and flour together
TOP TIP Grab a loaf of bread, remove the middle and make a ‘Bunny Chow’
Beef with tomato This is a great one on a Summer’s evening. Adding the tomatoes at the end lets the juices soak in. This again was one of my favourites from the year! Ingredients
Potjie time
-
- Add some olive oil to the pot - Brown the beef cubes - Remove the beef from the pot - Throw the onions in and brown - Add the beef and Worcester sauce and cover with the beef stock - Allow to simmer on low heat for 1 hour - Add the potatoes, carrots and aubergine - Allow to simmer for 3 Hours - Add the tomato, red onion and celery and simmer for an extra hour and a half.
0.5kg Diced Beef 1 Onion 1 Red onion 3 Medium potatoes 1 Carrot 1/2 Aubergine 2 sticks celery 1 Cup beef stock 2 Tomatoes 1 Tbsp Worcester Sauce Black pepper Olive oil
Preparation - Slice the onions, celery, tomatoes, potatoes (large chunks), carrot and aubergine. - Prepare the stock with a cup of boiling water
South Africa - Interesting facts South Africa is often called ‘The Cradle of Humankind’, because archaeological artefacts, tools and human remains prove that people lived in the area more than 100,000 years ago.
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Africa, this is why I live here! This year I’ve been fortunate to meet some wonderful South Africans with the same passion to help our Rhinos. Ayesha, from the facebook page ‘Africa, this is why I live here’ is one of them and I have followed this awesome page on facebook. She agreed to add some of the lighter sides of Africa in this magazine. Enjoy!
Thanks to Chero Winnie
Insurance getting you down?
Proof you can make a braai out of anything!
Thanks to Lorette ℒℯ Roux - Car-b-que. 28 Braai 365 Nile river, Uganda
Thanks to Emily T Fernandez
Thanks to Glenn Robertson
Cause every now and then it gets cold in Africa
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Ummmmm......okay?
Something Fishy
Fish on a Braai! Some people think that’s madness, but the smoky flavour that comes with a fish braai really is something to beat. I’ve experimented a lot 30 Braai 365 with fish and these are some of my favorite recipes.
Tuna Steaks Tuna steak on the braai, which taste awesome done on the braai! Choose to marinade them or braai up like a normal steak. This is one braai I had never done before the challenge but it’s worth a go! Ingredients -
Tuna steaks Juice from 2 oranges 0.25 Tsp of ground black pepper 0.5 Tsp of Worcester sauce 1 Tsp of olive oil 0.25 Tsp of coarse sea salt 1 Garlic cloves(crushed) 1 Tsp of garlic and herb spices
Method - Throw all of the ingredients into a bowl and stir - Place all the tuna into the bowl and pour the sauce over - Cover and Marinade for 30 minutes. **If the marinade doesn’t cover the tuna then turn after 15 minutes.
Braai Time - Very quick to cook so place over medium heat and cook each side for about 5 minutes or until you like it done. - Use the spare marinade to coat the tuna after turning. - The middle should still be pink on serving. - Serve up and enjoy!
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Butterflied Prawns Honestly, prawns on the braai are incredible. Obviously there are hundreds of ways to cook them, but here is my simple way. Ingredients -
10 Tiger prawns 2 Tbsp Butter Mixed Herbs 2 Cloves crushed garlic 1 Tsp Ground Pepper 1 Tsp Coarse Salt
Preparation Butter-flying the prawns probably takes the longest part of this, but it is well worth the effort. Once you have done it a few times it becomes pretty easy! Also note if you are using bamboo skewers, you will need to soak them in water for about 20 minutes before sliding the prawns on (this is to ensure that they don’t burn!)
Butter-flying your prawns - Take off the head of each prawn (twist) - Slice along the back of the prawn. - Near the tail of the prawn cut under the shell where the tail and shell meet - Slice the full length of the prawn and remove the intestinal tract (not hugely important, but I prefer not to eat it!)
Sauce - Melt the butter in the microwave then throw the rest of the ingredients together to form a sauce . - Lay your butterflied prawns out on a flat surface and then baste the sauce on the fleshy side of the prawns. Let this rest for about 10 minutes. - Slide the prawns onto the skewers and then get ready for braai time!
Braai Time I cook the prawns on medium to high heat (hand above the grid about 5-7 seconds) Prawns are really quick on the fire and need to be cooked for about 2 minutes on either side. With butterflied prawns the shell will turn pink and you will be able to see the meat turn white. When this happens take them off the fire and enjoy!
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Sea Bream for one
One of my favorite fish is bream, but this recipe can be done with any fish really. This has virtually no ingredients except coarse sea salt. All you need is a grid and fire. It really does bring it back to simplicity. Fire and food. Ingredients - 1 Full fish, scaled - Coarse Sea salt
Preparation - Slice three slits down each side of the fish - Rub the fish in Coarse sea salt.
Braai Time Make sure the coals have a medium heat and place the grid and fish directly over the coals. Turn a few times and after about 15-20 minutes the fish should appear white within, which will let you know it’s cooked. Throw it on a plate and eat.
South Africa - Interesting fact South Africa has 11 official languages: English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Xitsonga, siSwati, isiNdebele and Tshivenda Our beautiful table mountain has over 1500 species of plants, which makes up more than the entire United Kingdom. South Africa is the first and to date the only country to both build nuclear weapons and also dismantle our nuclear program
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Trout in Newspaper You can substitute this with other fish, but the paper acts like an oven and steamer and locks the juices in. Ingredients -
2 Trout 2 Cloves Garlic (crushed) 1 Lemon (sliced) Lemon Juice (half a cup) 1 Tbsp Butter Chives (sliced) 1 Tbsp Olive oil (1 tablespoon) 1/2 Onion (cut up half an onion) Ground Pepper Ground Salt 10 Pieces of newspaper for each fish
Preparation - Place the crushed garlic, lemon juice, melted butter and olive oil into a bowl and mix - Slice three slits down each side of the fish and then baste the sauce on the outside of each fish. - Throw some pepper and salt inside and outside the fish - Place the newspaper (about 10 double pages for each fish) in water and let it soak. - Stuff the inside of the fish with the lemon slices, chives and onions. - Wrap the fish in the wet newspaper layer by layer
Braai Time Place each fish directly onto the hot white coals, no need to worry about the paper burning as it’s coated in water. I do like to check every 10 minutes if it’s okay. If it does catch alight, remove the bundle and soak in water. This however, shouldn’t happen. The paper should go black and become burnt. I turn the fish every 3 or 4 times over 25 minutes, then take it off the fire and let it rest for 5 minutes. Peel back the newspaper and the skin should peel off with the paper. You are left with a perfect trout ready for eating!
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Fish and Prosciutto Kebabs
You may think I have lost it here but these were great during the year to add a bit of variety. Ingredients -
Skinless Hake Fillets Prosciutto Ham Cherry Tomatoes (optional) Halloumi Cheese (optional)
Preparation - Cut the hake into 1 inch chunks - Wrap each of the chunks with Prosciutto ham - Thread these one by one onto metal or wooden skewers. Alternate with tomatoes or Halloumi chunks if you choose.
Braai Time This is braai’d on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, turning regularly. Grab a piece off the end to test, and the hake would have turned from see through to white.
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Chicken Matters Some people say that chicken is like groente (vegies) but I love my chicken on the braai.
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Sosaties!
TOP TIP If you are using wood skewers, make sure you soak them in water to make sure they don’t go up in flames!
Okay traditionally these are done with lamb or beef, but here are 3 chicken sosatie recipes for you to try. There are endless recipes for these, and I will include more in following editions.
Curried Chorizo Ingredients -
Chicken (0.5kg) Cut into cubes Chorizo roll 1 Onion 1 Tsp Olive oil 1 Tsp Cumin seeds 1 Tsp Paprika 3 Bay leaves
Preparation - Cut the chicken into cubes - Slice the chorizo into 2 mm slices - Slice the onion into 1 inch cubes
Marinade - Throw the oil, cumin seeds and Parika in a bowl and mix - Now add in the chicken, chorizo, onion and bay leaves and mix together - Pop this into the fridge and let it stand for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Lemon and Pineapple
Skewered fajitas
Ingredients - Chicken (0.5kg) Cut into cubes - Juice from 2 lemons - Half a pineapple (cut into cubes) - Garlic and herb spices - 1 Tsp Olive oil
Preparation Cut the chicken and pineapple into cubes if you haven’t done so.
Ingredients - Chicken (0.5kg) Cut into cubes - 1 Red pepper - 1 Red Onion - 0.5 Tsp Paprika powder - 0.5 Tsp Cayenne powder - 1 Tsp Chilli powder - 0.5 Tsp Garlic powder - 0.25 Tsp Cumin Seeds - 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Preparation
Marinade - Throw the oil, lemon juice and about a teaspoon of spices into a bowl and mix. - Now add in the chicken, and mix together - Pop this into the fridge and let it stand for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Cut the chicken, peppers & onions (all into 3cm square chunks)
Spice mix - Mix all of the spices together in a bowl - Add the chicken, and mix together - Pop this into the fridge and let it stand for at least 3 hours or overnight. **Serve up with wraps, guacomole, tomoto, lettuce and sour cream (and any other extras you enjoy)
Skewer Once you’re ready to go, simply thread the meat and ingredients onto the skewers.
Braai Time This is cooked on a medium heat directly over the coals. These should take about 15 minutes or so, and you’ll know when they done when the chicken has turned white inside. I check by grabbing a piece off the end and breaking it open.
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Chicken Curry Braai Pie Easily one of my favorites of the year, this Pie is excellent. I originally saw it on Facebook and adjusted the filling to Curried Chicken. You can fill it with anything really, but the most important is the spinach which retains the juices. Ingredients - Chicken (about 0.5kg to 0.75kg) - 125 mls cream - Cumin seeds (1 teaspoon) - Curry powder (depends on how hot you like it! Rule of thumb, about 2 teaspoons) - Butter (2 teaspoons) - 1 Onion - Flour (1 tablespoon) - Butternut (About half a butternut) - A cup of boiling water with chicken stock - Puffed pastry (buy local or from a supermarket) - Milk
Filling 1. Cook enough chicken for the amount of people you are serving, and boil the butternut. 2. Place a pot on a stove top and add the butter and then onions. Make sure the onions turn soft and brown a little. 3. Next add your flour, cumin seeds and curry powder and stir for about a minute making sure there are no lumps. 4. Take the pot off the flame and add the chicken stock slowly whilst stirring. 5. Put the pot back on the heat and add the cream and stir for about a minute. 6. Add the butternut and cooked chicken and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat. 7. Test to see if the sauce is
spicy enough. Add more curry powder if needed. **Allow the mixture to cool as the pastry will melt if you don’t.
Prepare the Grid You can get pastry from your local baker or buy it in a supermarket. 1. Let the pastry defrost and then roll it out on a bed of flour to the size of the Grid. 2. Roll one side of the pastry inside the grid and cover with spinach leaves. 3. Add in the filling that was prepared (make sure it is cold!!) 4. Cover the top of the filling with more spinach. 5. Close the Pie up with the remaining pastry and press down the sides (a bit of water added will help it stay in place) 6. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the top the of the pie with milk. This will help to make the pie golden brown.
Braai Time This is cooked on a medium heat (you are able to hold your hand over the grid for about 7 seconds)directly over the coals. Turn this quite regularly, and because the ingredients are cooked before, it’s easy to tell when your pie is done. The pastry will simply turn a golden brown. Once this happens take it off the fire and serve up for an awesome meal!
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Chicken Flattie One thing I never knew how to do is make a ‘flattie’ chicken or spatchcock to throw on the braai. Here is a step by step guide. Method - Firstly grab the chicken and make sure you have some sharp scissors and a knife. - Remove all the string that keeps the bird together and then place it on it’s chest so you have access to the backbone. - Cut down both sides of the backbone to remove it completely. - Now open the bird up completely and then slice down the centre of the bird - After this slide a knife down the bone shaped like a triangle, and then slide your fingers under it and remove it completely. - Now remove any excess skin and fat by cutting both the top and bottom of the bird. - Once removed lay the bird flat, and then place in your choice of marinade overnight. - Once on the Braai it should take you about 30-40 minutes to braai a flattie.
Interesting Fact South Africa is pretty rich in minerals and is a land of mines. Famous for it’s gold and diamonds, South Africa holds about 90% of the worlds platinum metals and mines about 41% of the gold. 42 Braai 365
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Beer Bird I think most people will know how to make a beer bird and there really isn’t too much to it. Here’s my method on where to cut the can and also one extra special tip that will keep the juices in! Ingredients - One Full chicken - Can of Beer - 2 Tbsp Olive Oil - Spices (To coat the chicken, so really your call here!)
Method - Open the can of beer and drink half of it - Puncture holes near the top of the can - Slide the bird over the can (This can be done using a holder or you may have a specialised poultry roaster) - Mix the spices with the olive oil in a bowl - Using a pastry brush (or your hands) coat the bird with the spice mix
Braai Time - Separate your coals into either side of the braai (I use briquettes for a beer bird) - Wait until they turn white and then place the bird in the centre of the grill for indirect cooking. - Cook for one hour with the kettle lid on - To test throw a knife into the bird and the juices should run clear.
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Scrunch up some tin foil into a ball and ‘plug’ the top of the bird (this ensures the juices remain in the bird, and don’t escape out the top)
Spicy Pork Ribs I’ve experimented a bit with pork ribs, but the recipe below is very nice. This is an overnighter so make sure you prepare in advance for this one. Marinade them overnight to let the meat become tender! Ingredients - 0.5kg pork Ribs - 1/4 cup of Brown sugar - 1 Tbsp of Tomato Sauce - 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce - 1 Tbsp Honey - 2 Tbsp Nandos peri-peri sauce (substitute with chilli sauce if you don’t have) - 1 clove of garlic (crushed) - 1 Red pepper (cut finely) - Black pepper
Preparation - The day before serving double wrap the ribs in tin foil (shiny side in) and throw them on the braai (indirect heat) with the lid on for 1 hour. If you can’t light a braai the day before, throw the ribs (in foil) in the oven on 175 degrees for 1 hour. Remove from the braai/oven and allow to cool. - Whilst doing this prepare your marinade, throw all the ingredients into a bowl, and give it a good mix - Once the ribs have cooled down, lay down some cling foil in a pan, and place the ribs on top of this (with the meat side facing up) Pour the marinade over the ribs then wrap completely a few times.
- Place the ribs in the fridge overnight and remove about 2 hours before braai time.
Braai Time - Prepare your kettle with one side of charcoal as you will have a braai on direct and indirect. - Make sure the coals have turned white and you have a medium heat - Throw the ribs on direct heat and braai each side for 5 minutes - After this place the ribs on the opposite side of the coals and place the lid on the kettle to braai on indirect heat for 10 minutes each side. Remember to baste your ribs with the left over marinade every so often. **So all in all, you braai for 30 minutes 10 minutes - Direct heat 20 minutes - Indirect heat (with kettle lid on)
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Pizza Braai I have never had a pizza on the braai before, but got given the pizza stone at the beginning of the challenge and threw a few on. Below is a dough recipe but much easier buying it from the local baker. Ingredients for the base -
2 Tsp dried yeast 1 Tsp sugar 300-350g plain flour 1 Tsp salt 200 ml warm water 2 Tbsp olive oil (make sure you put enough in!!)
Making the Base - Mix the yeast, sugar, flour and salt together in a bowl. - Make a hole in the middle of the mixture and add the warm water and olive oil, then mix this all together. - Once mixed, throw some flour on a dry surface and then knead the mixture until it’s smooth. - Roll the dough into a ball and then put it in a clean bowl, and - Cover with cling foil in a warm place for about 10-20 minutes until it doubles in size.
Braai Time - If you’re using a kettle braai, this is done on indirect heat, so place the wood to one side of the braai. If done in a pizza oven place the wood near the back and ensure the base is hot. - Whilst the fire is on the go, get your base ready by throwing some flour on a dry surface and then roll the dough into a round base. - Now just throw whatever you want on the pizza (everyone has their preferences) and then throw it on the pizza stone, or in the pizza oven. - Braai time will vary but after 15-20 minutes your pizza should be done, with a nice crispy base. You will see the base turn brown around the edges and it should slide off/out easily.
TOP TIP Make sure your pizza stone is hot before putting the pizza on!
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What’s next? It’s a question that I’ve heard a few times now, and it’s been great to have a couple of months break. But now that it’s over I do want to do more and build on the success of the year. So below summarises what I want to try to do in the next year. Magazine Firstly, this will be one of a series of magazines. The next edition will be out on October the 1st. This will be a bi monthly magazine and will be available as an ebook. Depending on how well that does I will either continue as a bi monthly or do it on a monthly basis, with the profits on the sale of each magazine going to both our Rhino and a new charity, Foodbank SA.
Events These worked very well last year, and I am doing a few more this year. Making a copy of the ones last year and possibly adding in a few around the Christmas mark. Follow me on facebook to keep up to date www.facebook.com/braai365
Products On my last trip back to SA, I met with a factory to discuss braai products. The meetings went very well but need to work out financially how we can get a few products that are Proudly South African across to the UK and Europe. So watch this space in the next few months!
Braai365 Well as you can see I’m not letting go just yet! It’s my intention to do Braai365 South Africa in the future, which will probably be slightly easier (especially in Durban!)
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Next edition.... A focus on lamb