Now, last week we have told you what our “Boere-German” restaurateur - Johann Cronjé - does to “wow” patrons at his Savanna restaurant in Munich, Germany and explained that he was actually taught both recipes by the Germans and not the other way round as we would have expected. But when it comes to meat, yes, then nobody can tell a South African how it’s done right? Wrong, says Johann and you’d be surprised to hear that the Germans have a unique and for most of us South Africans, quite excessive taste when it comes to “maturing” a great cut of meat.
But yes as Johann points out - no-one will have to teach a South African how to braai, but perhaps Johann can add a few hints and tips on what the German have taught him on the preparation of meat - whether it’s on the open fire or inside.
But first, a really wonderful and easy monkey gland sauce that you can prepare yourself an hour or so before your guests turn up for an evening around the fire. This will ad some “extra spice” to your evening and in particular your steak!
Klipdrift monkey gland sauce
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic (cut small)
50ml Klipdrift brandy
1 can finely cut tomatoes
150ml Heinz tomato sauce
100ml peach chutney
1tsp Hickory smoke aroma
25ml Balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
Method
Fry onions and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the brandy and flambé. Add all other ingredients and cook at medium heat until reduced to a third.
Great steak made easy
For a really great steak the two most important things are how you buy it and how you prepare it! Ask your butcher to give you prime steak already matured for no less than two to three days. This is very important, otherwise you will have to mature it yourself. Some people like the Germans for instance, prefer their steak slightly more matured.
From your side you will have to “braai” it well. This means, to bring the core of your steak as closely as possible to the preferred degree of readiness - ie rare, medium rare, medium, or well done! This can be measured easily with the use of a kitchen thermometer or if you are skilled enough - by eye and smell of course! But remember - you start off on a fire that is between 225 - 280°C.
The respective degrees of readiness are 38 - 45°C (very rare); 46 - 52°C (rare); 53 - 55°C (medium rare); 56 - 58°C (medium) and 60 - 65°C (medium to well). Beyond this and you’d probably spoil your steak, according to Johann and many people will agree with him. There are people however who actually prefer their steak a little on the well-done side.
What you do next in the case of say, fillet, is the following: When your fillet is about 1- 2°C from the desired core temperature, remove it from the grid, wrap it in tin foil and leave it to “rest” for 10 - 15 minutes away from the heat. During this time you could prepare your chops and boerewors. Another 30 seconds on both sides (on the grid) just before you serve your steak, is an excellent idea. You can add your spices anytime you want. It simply makes no difference to the taste and the texture. Why not try these tips at your next braai and see how it compares with the way you usually do it? Perhaps we have all learned something?
