South Africans are weird. We seem to stick to one thing we know best for every situation. When we feel depressed, we braai. When we celebrate, we braai. When we have nothing else to do, we braai. And when we are supposed to mow the lawn? You guessed it, we braai!
We braai because it brings people together. It makes the circle bigger. We don’t barbecue, because that’s the flavour of Spur’s well-known sauce. And since we're used to braai'ing in any season, rain or shine, we've become bloody good at it. Here are our top five hacks for making your braai life lekker.
1. Pour Some Sugar on Me
There’s nothing as frustrating as realising you left the wood outside in the rain, and now everything’s too wet to light up. Fear not. When it happens next, try sprinkling plain white sugar over your stack and light with a firelighter. Sugar burns at a high temperature, thus increasing the internal temperature of the wood. That’s science.
2. Light My Fire
What happens when you’re on your last firelighter? Apparently, Doritos works just as well. But if you finished a whole packet of corn chips already, try dried-out teabags in a bottle half filled with paraffin. Another natural resource you can try? Pinecones.
3. The Lonely Grill
Love braai'ing but hate cleaning up, especially when you’ve had a big snoek on the grid? Don’t leave it all alone in the corner to rust. When the grid is still hot, use a freshly cut and halved onion to scrub the grime off. The oils and acids in onion work as an excellent degreaser. Lemons can be used similarly, plus it will bring out all the flavour in that boerewors and chops over the coals.
4. Breakin’ Dishes
Let’s face it – no one likes to do dishes, especially after a braai. If your guests are not the snobbish type, simply use paper plates and drink straight out of the beer bottle. Another cool idea is to use a muffin pan – place all your sauces, trimmings, and garnishes in the hollows. Less cleaning for you.
5. On Herbiwors
What happens if a vegetarian rocks up at your braai? Listen, pal, just gooi a slice of onion on the grill – that will chase them away in tears. Just kidding, we'd suggest making a few extra braai broodtjies. Zero effort but make it look like you care – winning.
Last minute plans of having a braai at your place? Don’t leave the house and your guests at a dead man’s door. Just tell them it’s a bring and braai and order what you need on the Deeliver app.
We have everything you need for a braai party: wood, briquettes, firelighters, paper plates, ice, your favourite drinks, and even Doritos. Shop all things Braai & Party here. Nou gaan ons braai!