Braai - Reuben On Fire

Western Cape. He is chef de cuisine and owner of Reuben’s Restaurant in Franschhoek as well as concept chef at Reuben’s at the One & Only Cape Town and Reuben’s at the Robertson Small Hotel. Despite his meteoric rise from small-town boy to scooping top honours at the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards with Reuben’s Restaurant and being named Unilever By Invitation Only Chef of the Year in 2007, Riffel has never lost sight of his roots in Franschhoek.

In the last few years, Reuben has become a household name in South Africa with local and international appearances, and his popularity was affirmed when he was made Fairtrade Ambassador in 2013. His first two cookbooks, Reuben Cooks: Food is Time Travel and Reuben Cooks Local (also published

by Quivertree) won Best Chef’s Cookbook and Best Photography respectively at the World Gourmand Awards in 2009 and 2012. Key to Reuben’s success is his unsurpassed ability to marry South African and international cuisines via an eclectic approach that always uses the best seasonal ingredients available.

Tudor Caradoc-Davies is a Cape Town-based lifestyle writer with a severe bias for food and travel stories. From working as a plongeur for a Michelin-starred chef in Germany to moonlighting as Shadrack Malimbo (Tanzania’s first restaurant reviewer) at The Citizen newspaper in Dar es Salaam and numerous gastronomic adventures in between, Tudor is never far from a source or a sauce. He writes about chefs, foodies, boozies, restaurants and local producers for publications like The Sunday Times, Men’s Health and GQ. When he sleeps, he dreams of Turducken.

craig fraser Based in Cape Town, Quivertree was founded in 2002 by Craig Fraser and graphic designer Libby Doyle. The company has established itself as one of South Africa’s most innovative and award-winning boutique publishing houses, with recent titles that include; Modern Wineries of South Africa, Remarkable Gardens of South Africa, Reuben Cooks Local, Feast at Home and Karoo Kitchen.

Braai – Reuben on Fire was shot at Reuben’s house in Franschhoek. It is always a great pleasure to collaborate on a book with Reuben. I arrived with a pile of old pieces of wood and rusty backgrounds and Reuben had the fires going. Brian was chief fire maker and we toyed with the idea of bringing out a sequel called Brian Braai.

Vote for the United Nations Leg of Lamb!

Discover The Greatest Gatsby Meet Frik & Adele Go forth and marinade!

The purpose of this book is to raise your game. the braai is a stage and you’re...

braai−reuben on fire

Reuben Riffel leads a busy life with three restaurants in and around the

The ultimate way to cook. Social, primal and the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Fire up the coals, Braai Master.

It’s time to get your hands messy.

Flames and flesh, you are the hero the tongwielding master

braai

The quintessential South African cooking style, Reuben takes you on a road trip through his past from hunting and cooking pigeons on the farms of Franschhoek as a kid, to his travels where he learnt how to experiment with unexpected flavours and exotic ingredients. In Braai – Reuben on Fire, he challenges you to lift your game above the simple tanning of a chop and burning of boerie.

Delving into the business of naming rites, the politics of the braai, the logistics of the braai timeline and the importance of developing a relationship with your butcher, Reuben covers the basics before getting into the meat of the matter. Throughout the book tips and tactics and wine and beer food pairings are dispersed liberally while braai myths are blown out of the water.

The dishes may be informed by his travels and his culinary influences but at the same time, through Reuben’s explorative use of the braai, they are unmistakably South African in flavour and feel. From new versions of standard rock star South African ingredients to digging deep into the spectrum of what is possible on a braai, Braai − Reuben on Fire is a book for any braai fan keen to take their skills to the next level.

Fire up the coals Braai Master. It’s time to get your hands messy.

www.quivertreepublications.com

Q

reuben on fire publications

braaiing is the ultimate way to cook. Social, primal and

the most fun you can have with your clothes on as a South African – or

anyone for that matter, it’s a skill worth perfecting.

braai reuben on fire

written by tudor caradoc-davies

contents.

the essential six.

28 29

The Swiss Army Rub; The Bottle Baster; The Orient Express The Farmyard Rub; The Finger Licker; Flying Pig Paste

oepsies.

38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62

Bone Thrillers Braaidue King Kaings Titanic Meatballs Purr-Worthy Peri-Peri Wings A Wing And A Prayer Ninja Wings The Turtle aka The Marine Skilpadjie The Pink Poppadum Salsa Thighs Buffalo Bombs Surf, Turf And Earth Skewers Rollicking Tails

meat of the matter.

66 68 70 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96

Lambo in Camo The Robertson Fatso Stir-Braai United Nations Lamb The Über-Chop The Bugger-The-Bun Burger The Royal Wimpy Rib-Eye The Umami Army Rump Cow With Cold Feet The Treasure Chest Bok Selection Dilemma The Bok Loinout The Racketeer Liver Lover’s Liver Tongue Twister

98 Essential Lamb 100 The Lambackini 102 Reuben The Impaler’s Braai Offal Skewers With Sticky Port 104 The Greatest Gatsby 106 Denningvleis Delight 108 Yellow Bellied Swine 110 Chill Mon Ribs 112 Chops Sui 114 A Welcome Balls-Up 116 Ek Sal Jou Smoor 118 Frik & Adele 120 The French/South African Frank & Beans

fowls & furries.

124 A Karoo Rare Bit 126 The Hot Bird 128 Bruno’s Birdie Nom Nom 130 Low Slaaing Duck 132 Fig-Yam Duck 136 The Pigeon Fancier’s Fancy Pigeon 138 Braaied Bush Birds 140 The Braai Budgie 142 Chargrilled Chocolate Bunny

of f ns, tentacles and suckers.

146 Whole-In-One Trout 148 Morsel From The Deep 150 Rainbow Tuna 154 Lumberjack Salmon 156 Kob Almighty 160 Tunin’ You 162 Frenchified Braai Salmon 164 Prawning Glory 166 Cray-Cray Kreef 168 Perlie Paella Bombs

slaai guys.

172 The Donkey’s Mielies 174 Ideal Scenario Salad 176 The Sandwichified Salad 178 Tater-Ma-Chance 180 Elevated Eggplant 182 The Leftfield Lettuce Bomb 184 The Lad Salad 188 Interstellar Shrooms

sweet surrender.

192 Unbeatable Braai Pudding 194 Malibu Barbie 196 Starstruck Citrus 198 Crumble In The Jungle 200 Braai-Mousse

cocktails.

204 Mr T Time; Bloody Bazzy; The Blue Steel 206 Grabouw Soiree; Pink Bulls; The Braai Barista Brew 208 Red Mojo; The Passionista 226 Conversion Charts 227 Cook’s Notes & Directory

2 x two-centimetre-thick pork shoulder chops, rinded (ask your butcher for this special cut) 4 tsp salt 2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried rosemary 2 tbsp canola oil

For the marinade

1 onion, finely diced 1½ garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ tsp herb de Provence ¼ tsp tomato paste 2 tbsp white wine 1 tbsp curry-spiced tomato sauce ¼ tsp HP sauce ¼ tsp soy sauce ¼ tsp Maggie seasoning sauce Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Serves 2-4

the über-chop [Pork shoulder chops in Far West marinade] Think pork and you probably think pork chops, sausage, pork neck, leg or belly.

The list doesn’t go on that long in our minds, but it could because there is more to an animal than conventional carcass cuts. The cuts we tend to find in supermarkets are chosen for the speed in which butchers can break down a carcass and the cost at which each cut can be sold. But when you are lucky enough to be part of the slaughtering process or if you know an engaging butcher, you will begin to discover some special cuts that react a bit differently to what you’re used to.

I’m lucky in that I’m closer to the butchering process and I get to know the potential of a carcass. Take the shoulder of pork, for example, which has the most tender meat (other than the leg). It’s closer to the bone and you can get four chops from it that have quite a bit of marbling. When it comes to normal pork loin chops, it’s like beef sirloin: sometimes it’s nice, sometimes it’s not. But the pork shoulder chop is a great piece of meat and it’s almost foolproof. You can get a little distracted making a cocktail or watching Jacques Kallis play himself in, slightly overcook the chop and it won’t be a disaster because it’s not as thin as a pork loin chop. You get this crispy skin and thick meat, which stays juicy while treating you to a bit of crackling on the outside.

It’s important to get the salt in and among the rind to get the crackling going. The chop is not super thick so it cooks fairly quickly. If you take one piece of information away from this book, it’s to get to know your butcher.

1/ Mix together all the marinade ingredients.

2/ Season the chops evenly with two teaspoons salt, pepper and rosemary.

Rub with oil, then rub the rest of the salt evenly into the rind to ensure it turns very crisp.

3/ Cook the chops over medium heat until seared, about 20 minutes, then baste the chops with marinade. Cook until there is no more pink in the middle, but it’s still very juicy on the inside.

4/ Serve drizzled with marinade.

Beer | The Standeaven Brewery African Pale Ale Wine | The Bernard Series Pinotage

76 \

2 good-quality patties 4 bacon rashers 100g mozzarella, sliced 4 x 1.5cm-thick aubergine slices, same width as the patties 1 medium onion, sliced 1 medium tomato, sliced 2 gherkins, sliced ½ tsp sesame seeds

Smoked BBQ sauce (master recipe)

5 large tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 1 red onion 1 red chilli 500ml tomato sauce 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp smoked paprika 20ml molasses 200ml orange juice 150ml brandy

Serves 2

the bugger-the-bun burger [Burger on aubergine “bun” with BBQ sauce] When it comes to burgers, I don’t always like bread with them. I’m a big fan of the patty itself and what you can do by flavouring it, but in general if a burger is disappointing, the culprit is usually the bun. Buns are either too heavy and dense or there’s too much bread in comparison to the meat.

A great burger needs a ratio of meat to bun that is just right, where the bun soaks up the sauce, the patty is big enough, there’s just enough cheese, everything aligns perfectly.

Playing with the idea of a slider (mini burger), I thought I’d rope in that mighty vegetable – the aubergine. The viscous nature of aubergine takes the concept of a slider to the next level as you won’t need to chomp through a giant burger bun. Aubergine is very light and you can also flavour it with that unique smoky braai essence. If you’re the muscle-bound type with an aversion to carbs or have a girlfriend who has nightmares about bread, then this is an excellent low-carb option that sacrifices nothing on the flavour front.

1/ On a grid over medium-high heat, cook the patties evenly for about three minutes on each side.

2/ Grill the bacon on the grid until evenly crisped.

3/ Place the mozzarella on the patty and cover the Weber to melt the cheese.

4/ Grill the aubergine until soft with grill marks.

5/ Layer the patty between two slices of aubergine with onion, tomato, bacon, gherkin and a dollop of BBQ sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Smoked BBQ sauce (master recipe) 1/ Braai the tomatoes, garlic, onion and chilli for about seven minutes in a Weber. Place in a pot along with the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Blend.

Beer | Boston Breweries Lager Wine | Idiom Cape Blend

78 \

6 tiger prawns 1 pinch salt 1 pinch crushed black pepper 1 tsp olive oil 1 lemon, sliced ½ handful basil leaves

For the peri-peri sauce

1 onion, sliced 15 red chillis, deseeded and chopped 4 red peppers 100ml red wine vinegar 30g smoked paprika

For the basil butter

150g butter Juice of 1 lemon 1 pinch salt 1 pinch finely-ground black pepper

Serves 1-2

164 \

prawning glory [Peri-peri prawns with basil butter] 1/ To make the peri-peri sauce, sweat the onion, chilli and red peppers for 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat. Deglaze with the red wine vinegar, then add the smoked paprika. Simmer for 20 minutes, then blend until smooth.

2/ To make the basil butter, blend all the ingredients until smooth.

3/ Season the prawns evenly with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.

On a fine grid over high heat, grill the prawns, lemon and basil for two minutes, meat-side down. Turn over and cook for two more minutes on the shell side.

4/ To serve, dollop basil butter and peri-peri sauce over the prawns and remove from the heat immediately.

Beer | Boston Breweries Lager Wine | De Bos Walker Bay Chardonnay

3 crayfish, halved lengthwise 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp celery, finely chopped 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

For the basil butter

150g butter Juice of 1 lemon 1 pinch salt 1 pinch finely ground black pepper

For the chopped tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 leeks, finely chopped ½ cup white wine 1 roasted tomato, chopped 1 pinch saffron 1 pinch salt 1 pinch cracked black pepper

Serves 3-6

cray-cray kreef [Crayf sh with basil butter and chopped tomato sauce topped with coriander and parsley] Growing up, we used to head to the coast at Paternoster in a big rented bus with the whole family crammed inside. Often with the tyres on their last legs, the thing would break down and what should have been a few hours turned into a much longer ordeal as people got stressed and started drinking. The tortuous journey aside, the overriding flavour I remember from those trips was the crayfish. We couldn’t afford the whole thing but would get the heads, stuffed with newspaper and cooked.

Since those days, I’ve been spoilt with access to crayfish. Most of the time when you get crayfish, you want to cook it simply because it’s such a precious treat, but as with anything, if you happen to get it in abundance, you start wanting to try different things, like putting it in curry etc.

For me, putting kreef on a braai is still first prize, but there are ways to respect that most brilliant of kreef cooking styles while subtly notching it up a bit. If you take something you do in a restaurant, like basil butter, it works even better as a combination with crayfish than parsley. As this wonderful butter melts into your crayfish and is topped with the roasted tomato sauce and the herbal element of parsley and coriander, it gives you the sense of sophistication that your dish could be at home in a fancy restaurant. Then you open your eyes and realise that it’s even better that you’ve done it in your backyard or on the beach and your friends and family are wowed by how you’ve elevated such a beloved South African ingredient without overdoing it. That is satisfying.

1/ To make the basil butter, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

2/ To make the chopped tomato sauce, make a foil bowl 40cm long x 30cm wide x 7cm deep. Heat the olive oil in the bowl and sweat the onion, garlic and leeks. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by half. Add the roasted tomato, saffron, salt and pepper and reduce by a third.

3/ Season the crayfish evenly with salt and pepper. Rub with oil. Grill for two to three minutes on a grid over medium-high heat with the meaty side down first, then grill for two to three minutes on the shell side.

4/ Dress with chopped tomato sauce and cook for three to five minutes.

5/ To serve, drizzle the crayfish with basil butter. Mix together the celery and coriander to garnish.

Beer | Saggy Stone California Steam Wine | Haut Espoir Chardonnay

166 \

Western Cape. He is chef de cuisine and owner of Reuben’s Restaurant in Franschhoek as well as concept chef at Reuben’s at the One & Only Cape Town and Reuben’s at the Robertson Small Hotel. Despite his meteoric rise from small-town boy to scooping top honours at the 2004 Eat Out Johnnie Walker Restaurant Awards with Reuben’s Restaurant and being named Unilever By Invitation Only Chef of the Year in 2007, Riffel has never lost sight of his roots in Franschhoek.

In the last few years, Reuben has become a household name in South Africa with local and international appearances, and his popularity was affirmed when he was made Fairtrade Ambassador in 2013. His first two cookbooks, Reuben Cooks: Food is Time Travel and Reuben Cooks Local (also published

by Quivertree) won Best Chef’s Cookbook and Best Photography respectively at the World Gourmand Awards in 2009 and 2012. Key to Reuben’s success is his unsurpassed ability to marry South African and international cuisines via an eclectic approach that always uses the best seasonal ingredients available.

Tudor Caradoc-Davies is a Cape Town-based lifestyle writer with a severe bias for food and travel stories. From working as a plongeur for a Michelin-starred chef in Germany to moonlighting as Shadrack Malimbo (Tanzania’s first restaurant reviewer) at The Citizen newspaper in Dar es Salaam and numerous gastronomic adventures in between, Tudor is never far from a source or a sauce. He writes about chefs, foodies, boozies, restaurants and local producers for publications like The Sunday Times, Men’s Health and GQ. When he sleeps, he dreams of Turducken.

craig fraser Based in Cape Town, Quivertree was founded in 2002 by Craig Fraser and graphic designer Libby Doyle. The company has established itself as one of South Africa’s most innovative and award-winning boutique publishing houses, with recent titles that include; Modern Wineries of South Africa, Remarkable Gardens of South Africa, Reuben Cooks Local, Feast at Home and Karoo Kitchen.

Braai – Reuben on Fire was shot at Reuben’s house in Franschhoek. It is always a great pleasure to collaborate on a book with Reuben. I arrived with a pile of old pieces of wood and rusty backgrounds and Reuben had the fires going. Brian was chief fire maker and we toyed with the idea of bringing out a sequel called Brian Braai.

Vote for the United Nations Leg of Lamb!

Discover The Greatest Gatsby Meet Frik & Adele Go forth and marinade!

The purpose of this book is to raise your game. the braai is a stage and you’re...

braai−reuben on fire

Reuben Riffel leads a busy life with three restaurants in and around the

The ultimate way to cook. Social, primal and the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Fire up the coals, Braai Master.

It’s time to get your hands messy.

Flames and flesh, you are the hero the tongwielding master

braai

The quintessential South African cooking style, Reuben takes you on a road trip through his past from hunting and cooking pigeons on the farms of Franschhoek as a kid, to his travels where he learnt how to experiment with unexpected flavours and exotic ingredients. In Braai – Reuben on Fire, he challenges you to lift your game above the simple tanning of a chop and burning of boerie.

Delving into the business of naming rites, the politics of the braai, the logistics of the braai timeline and the importance of developing a relationship with your butcher, Reuben covers the basics before getting into the meat of the matter. Throughout the book tips and tactics and wine and beer food pairings are dispersed liberally while braai myths are blown out of the water.

The dishes may be informed by his travels and his culinary influences but at the same time, through Reuben’s explorative use of the braai, they are unmistakably South African in flavour and feel. From new versions of standard rock star South African ingredients to digging deep into the spectrum of what is possible on a braai, Braai − Reuben on Fire is a book for any braai fan keen to take their skills to the next level.

Fire up the coals Braai Master. It’s time to get your hands messy.

www.quivertreepublications.com

Q

reuben on fire publications