Recently in the UK I did a demonstration entitled “A Taste of South Africa” for an incredible new charity called Yonah, where I prepared traditional dishes. Demonstrating braaing, however, was a little difficult indoors, so when I was asked to do a few recipes for this feature, I jumped at the opportunity to share my love for braaing. It’s so much more than cooking meat, it’s a whole South African experience.
FINGER-LICKING STICKY RIBS
The best way to enjoy these ribs is by pre-boiling them in ginger ale to tenderise and soften the meat surrounding the bones. These sticky ribs have a wonderful caramelisation.
Ingredients
6 short rib strips (the ribs should be 8-10cm long with each strip having about 6-8 ribs per rack; show your butcher this recipe and they’ll be able cut the ribs accordingly).
2 litres ginger ale
Large pot for boiling
For the sauce
¼ cup (60ml) soft brown treacle/sticky sugar
3 tbsp honey
¼ cup (60ml) Worcester sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
¼ cup (60ml) sesame oil
¼ cup (60ml) rice vinegar
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional but it does lift the flavour)
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
To decorate
Fresh coriander and sesame seeds
METHOD
I like to wrap the ribs, standing upright, around the inside of the large pot I’m going to use, starting from the outside and working towards the centre. Pour the ginger ale over the ribs and bring to the boil with a lid on.
Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and continue to simmer ribs for 30 minutes with lid on.
Meanwhile, make up sauce by mixing sauce ingredients together.
At this point you have two choices, to braai/barbecue them or roast them in the oven at 180C.
ROASTING METHOD
Remove ribs from ginger ale; retain one cup (240ml) of ginger ale in case you need to add it to ribs while roasting if you feel the sauce is too thick.
Place the ribs in a roasting pan and pour the sauce over the ribs. Mix them around so that they are all well coated. The roasting pan shouldn’t be too big or the sauce will evaporate too quickly and burn at the bottom.
Roast for one hour covered and 30-45 minutes uncovered until dark and crispy. Keep basting during the last half hour.
If you find the sauce a little thick, add a little of the ginger ale set aside earlier.
BRAAING METHOD
Remove ribs from ginger ale and cover with sauce, mix around to ensure they are all well coated.
Braai them until brown and crispy and keep basting them with the sauce while braaing.
Try to braai them on all sides so that you get that lovely flame-licked taste.
The ribs can also be cut up individually, which helps when trying to get all sides cooked.
Once cooked to your desired “look” they can be kept warm, covered, in the oven, at 120C.
Decorate with fresh coriander and sesame seeds.
‘LEKKER’ CHIMICHURRI STEAKS (lekker means “really nice” in Afrikaans)
I could write an entire book on tenderising kosher steaks, from mashing pawpaw and painting the mixture on the steaks, leaving for six hours, to wrapping the steaks in muslin cloth for two weeks, to vacuum packing then, to marinating them, bashing them, and honestly if there’s a method out there, I’ve probably tried it. The pursuit of the perfect tender kosher steak could qualify as a full-time job.
However, there is nothing better than the taste of a flame-licked steak, cooked to perfection on a braai, smothered in chimichurri sauce.
INGREDIENTS
6 first rib/prime rib steaks off the bone, lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper
For chimichurri sauce
½ cup (120ml) olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp crushed fresh garlic
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
1 fresh, hot red chilli, seeds removed and chopped
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ cup (15g) finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarse stems removed
½ cup (15g) finely chopped fresh coriander
METHOD
Cook the steaks as desired, on BBQ or hot pan. When cooked, spoon over the chimichurri sauce.
To make sauce: Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, oregano, chilli and smoked paprika. Stir in parsley and coriander and whisk again, or pulse a few times in a food processor.
Chimichurri can be frozen in ice cube trays. When ready to use, let thaw to room temperature.
Sharon Lurie is a food editor and author of the Cooking with the Kosher Butcher’s Wife series. She is also the creator of Bobba Shar’s salad dressings.
Yonah (registered charity 1215855) strives to create a community where Jewish values are lived with purpose, connection and joy. Through gatherings, youth programmes, couples initiatives and adult education, “every unique Jew belongs at Yonah”