Cooking outdoors is just so much more than burnt burger patties - it's a total way of life and here is why.
As Coronavirus holds the world firmly in its grip, it’s also afforded people all over the world time to reflect on what’s actually important. I’m no different. Four weeks into isolation and I find the list I’ve discovered is the same as Elizabeth Gilbert’s. Eat. Pray. Love. Embracing these is something I’m hoping will become our “new normal”.
I’ve spent some of this time really thinking about what my contentment triggers are. Being with my family is naturally at the top of this list but it also includes a long run, being outside with my fingers in the flowerbeds and anything related to the great game of cricket. As you would expect this finite list includes the Braai.
If you’ve never heard this word before, it’s the South African term for a BBQ.
braai /ˈbrʌɪ/ noun short for braaivleis verb grill (meat) over an open fire
Yet it’s much more than a word. It’s a way of life, an expression of self, deeply rooted and entirely defining. One of my earliest memories is braaing with my father when I was about 8. He was quite at ease to allow me to make a small fire, between 4 bricks, at his feet. I would be allowed to grill something, typically boerewors (farmer’s sausage), and sometimes steal a sip or two of his beer. I know that my grandfather was equally influential around the braai - he wielded his braaitongs right up until his final days with us. My own son is showing signs that he too will one day be a master of the braai. It runs pretty deep.
Lockdown has afforded me the time to braai more and this ticks all the boxes for me. There’s certainly eating involved. Staring into the flickering flames of the braai one can’t not feel connected to what makes us human - it’s a great form of prayer, whatever your belief. The braai always has those I love around it - it’s the perfect way to just be together.
As such I find myself writing this, hoping that I can share my passion for the braai with other braaimasters and with those who want to learn how this simple pastime might provide them the same contentment it gives me. Whether you’re an expert or a beginner I hope the recipes and the anecdotes you’ll find here make you smile, draw your loved ones together and help you find something completely human.
Bear with me, as I’m just starting out. I plan to start pretty simple and over time share more complex recipes with you. Homage to the sausage is as simple as it gets but my family love this recipe. I think if Conronavirus has taught us one thing it’s that rediscovering the simple things in life really does matter.
Eat. Love. Braai.
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