The Braai

I've done a couple of posts about things I miss from home.  Here's one bit of South African culture I'll be bringing back to Canada with me. 

Back in Canada we had a gas BBQ out on our patio.  It was illegal to have an open fire where we lived so I had to do all my "camp" cooking when we were camping.  I loved my dutch ovens and roasting marshmallows and all that fun at camp.  I often wanted to do those things at home, and couldn't.

When we found our Port Elizabeth home I was thrilled that it had an indoor braai.  Not all homes have an indoor braai.  We've seen them as an outbuilding near the pool.  We've seen them built into the wall of an outside patio too.  Regardless of where they are located every home seems to have a braai.  For entertaining, the braai is the centre of attention in Port Elizabeth.

This is our braai room.

I am standing on the patio by the pool to take this photo.  If you look at the flooring, the tiles are the same both inside the room and outside on the patio/pool deck.  The rest of the house is different. The right of the room has a door and pass through window to the kitchen and the glass "door" on the left is actually a 3 panel folding "window wall" so the room can be completely enclosed when it's cold. In the far wall at the left is the Braai.  The contractor is still working to clear up the water issues that are hiding behind the curtain, so it's a work in progress.  One day when the house is fixed and painted and I've had a chance to hang the family photos, I'll post photos of the whole place.

In the meantime here's what the braai looks like close up.

The left side is a propane grill just like at home.  The right side is our wood braai, this is the part I'm bringing home.  There is a chimney, just like a fireplace chimney, to vent the smoke. Inside the braai is the South African version of the dutch oven. They call it a Potjeikos. It's pronounced Poy (like toy)-Key. It's used just like my dutch oven, the only difference is the rounded bottom.  Here in SA they have Potjeikos competitions like we have ribfests.  I've made stew and a sweet and sour pork so far, but I know I'll be using it a lot more. I've also used my dutch oven for some fruit crisps and chicken dishes that we like. 

Here's what it looks like when it's lit with the grills instead of the potjeikos.  The coals drop out of the bottom of the fire cage and there is a special long handled braai tool with a flat paddle on the end to reach under the cage and push the coals under the grill.

Here's what it looks like with burgers on the grill.  The fire is done and the coal are mostly under the grill.  Yummmmmmy!

I like to build the fires from scratch, just me and a match (okay a butane lighter), but they do have fancier fire lighters. The neighbours use a copper pipe with holes in it attached to the propane tank. It's basically a blow torch that sits in the bottom of the fire cage and lights large logs (or wet logs) without needing kindling. We did buy one, but haven't used it yet as the threads don't fit our propane tank and we haven't managed to get an adaptor yet. For now I use my little hatchet to make my own kindling and the lint from the dryer is my fire starter. They sell bags of wood at the side of the road at every other corner it seems,  kind of like Tim Horton's locations in Canada.  With all the rain we've been having though the wood is often quite wet, so unless you're willing to cut everything smaller and keep some dry wood on hand (like I am at the moment) the blow torch is the easiest way to go.

After I'm finished cooking I usually bank the coals so there is enough heat left after supper for marshmallows, or I put the little dutch oven on them with dessert inside so it's ready for after dinner. 

The little drawer on the bottom left is an ash drawer. There is a removable panel just over the drawer and when the ashes are cool you just brush them into the drawer to clean out your braai for the next meal. Easy peasy.

I absolutely love that I can cook over a fire in any weather. My menu plans never have to change if it decides to rain (which is seems to be doing a lot of lately) or if the windy city lives up to its name. The best part though, if I choose, I can smell the glorious smell of a woodburning fire every night.

Braai's are a big part of the South African culture.  We have been to the neighbours several times and the party always centers around the braai.  If it is at all possible I will be shipping a braai back to Canada when we return and find some way to make it work, inside or out.  I can't wait to invite our family and friends for a beer and a braai.  Good times.