The braai: we’re getting better

The Boks are through to the 2019 RWC quarter-finals but the Proteas have a mountain to climb to salvage cricket pride in India.

But no matter what the immediate future holds for these two national sporting codes over the next couple of weeks, there is one area where South Africans are undisputed world champions; cooking on a fire.

So says Pete Goffe-Wood, one of the judges on e.tv’s Ultimate Braai Master.

He also pooh-poohs the suggestion that the popularity of convenience foods is killing the art of braaiing.

“I think we’re getting a lot better at it,” he insists.

“It’s still cheaper to go out and buy yourself some boerewors, a packet of chicken and braai chops than to go out for a decent meal … especially if there are a couple of you and you’re going to have beer or wine with the food.

“At the same time, there are better products on offer and these are much more readily available to the greater public. Think about it; in the past you’d never find a spatchcock chicken or espetadas outside of a specialist butcher … now you not only find them in just about every supermarket, you also get them in a variety of marinades.

“We are braaiing more than ever before and we’re being a lot more adventurous with it.”

Goffe-Wood says cooking pro-grammes such as Masterchef and Ultimate Braai Master can take a lot of credit for the latter.

“There is no question that television has brought the ability to cook into every household.

“People who were steadfast ’wors and chops braaiiers are talking about making beer bread with cheese and bacon on the fire.”

One of the eye-openers of an earlier season of Braai Master, he says, was when contestants were faced with the challenge of preparing a “high tea” on the fire.

“One team baked a layered red-velvet cake and a smoky cheesecake.”

And another thing, he says, “plenty of people think they can do better than what they are seeing on TV”.

So, who braais best in this country?

“If you take Braai Master as a yardstick, this past season (season six) was the first time all three top positions were taken by one province – in this case Gauteng.

However, it was also the first time the competition was not won by a team from the Western Cape.”

– news@citizen.co.za

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