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Very interesting Josh. I have braaied semi frozen meat in the past, but I have always felt that it came out a bit tough (taai) then!

Getting back to the fire. That is one part of braaing I enjoy very much and I tend to go big. I always use a whole pack of blitz and when I'm braaing with compressed charcoal alone I use the whole bag (4 kg or preferable 5 kg)! NOTHING frustrates me more than trying to braai with a "cold" or "small" fire!

During our last 4 or 5 visits to the KNP, the available wood in the shops wasn't that great and I used half a bag of wood together with half a bag of charcoal.

Meat is also rather important. I prefer not to use marinade. The reason for that is that I like to taste and smell the meat and not the marinade. I also prefer not to use those pre-mix braai spices. The best for me is salt, pepper and a few drops of vinegar (dark one)!!

one of my favourites is doing a fillet with no spice at all, I don't even dirty the braai grid.

Well its Kosher meat to begin with, which isn't always the greatest, so...
I've never had issues with braaiing straight from frozen.


Wow! a 5kg back of compresses charcoal can easily last me 3-4 braais (obviously depending on size).


I had an issue with wet wood once in MZNP. Had to fry the wors on the skottel in the end.


I agree completely.

I agree Sprocky...NO spices on fillet is a winner!



I know Josh and you are correct! Usually we braai big...potatoes and sometimes onions in tin, meat, wors and tomato/onion bread and the last thing I need is a small fire!

Here in Pretoria, I braai with a Weber when I'm feeling lazy and not in a mood to stand around the fire. I use approximately half a bag of compressed charcoal in my Weber.

Re charcoal. For me the best charcoal is the ones that are not compressed. I only buy the Sudwest brand in the blue bag(I have a friend that braai every single day of his life and he uses only the above.)

Try the following with potatoes: Take a couple of decent size potatoes and poke them all over with a fork. Then melt some butter and roll the potatoes in the melted butter(this is a bit messy to do). Then put some salt on the potatoes and cover them properly with heavy alluminium foil. Start your fire and put the potatoes on the edge of your fire. They will slowly start to heat up as your fire start getting hotter. Never put the in the middle of the fire(always on the edge of the fire) because they will burn on the outside. Turn regularly and by the time your meat is done your potatoes will also be ready to be enjoyed with butter and everything else that you want to put on.

Bon apetite.

Yeah, the more things you have, especially potatoes etc, the bigger the fire required.



AWB, I'm curious to know why you prefer uncompressed?

I also prefer uncompressed, it atleast gives a bit of a flame like wood and it still smells almost like a wood fire. Compressed briquettes don't do it for me.

Hhmmm. I assume you want a flame for aesthetic reasons?
One could throw some wood chips into a compressed charcoal fire for taste if one wanted (they're sold in most hardware shops under Weber branding).

For steaks, I prefer high heat levels. Me and my SO enjoy our steaks medium done.

For lamb chops especially, a like to add a few drops of lemon juice. It ensures that your meat is not "taai".

With any braai, wors is a default that must be included.A few pork rashers also don't do any harm as testers!!

Spot-on Badprop_za!!

I once saw a tv show where they scientifically analysed how meat cooks and the best way to cook it. Cooking it slower on a lower heat apparently leads to much less tough meat, since there is more breakdown, compared to faster cooking over a higher heat.

I prefer to cook most things slower, especially chicken. I however like to cook lamb chops on quite a high heat, and quite quickly.


Yes, wors is a default, though my gf doesn't eat it and none of us eat pork

Also prevents the meat from sticking to the grid.

I'm not sure if it was mentioned above but a nice and easy way of braaing onions and potatoes is by wrapping each one entirely in foil and then placing directly on the coals. Turn every now and then. Should be ready in about 30 minutes, but check with a knife, if knife penetrates very easily then it is cooked. Delicious cos it has that smoky taste! Serve with a dab of margarine/butter/mayonnaise.

When there is food on the table/thread everybody comes running

For me, eating the food represents half the pleasure. Making the fire and cooking the food represents the other half

At most parties and get-togethers, I'm the one that is either asked to do the braaiing, or the one that ends up doing it anyway (I dislike badly braaiied food).

Re compressed/non-compressed charcoal. I find that the non-compressed charcoal lasts longer and produces a more intense heat. Also the smell, it smells better than the briquettes.

Btw, has anyone tried cabbage in foil? Slice the cabbage with the slices 2cm thick and then spread some garlic butter and a flavour enhancer like Aromat on the cabbage and wrap it with foil. Cook the same way as potatoes. The cooking time is shorter.