10 Tools for the braai master
1. A braai | It would be tough to be a braai master without a braai (although some have tried). If you’re up for charcoal and briquette braaing, the Weber One Touch Gold is a great option. If precise cooking with exact temperatures is your thing, check out these gas grills.
2. Basting tools | Used mostly when grilling and roasting, basting is a cooking technique in which meat is coated periodically during cooking with either its own juices, a sauce or a marinade to make it taste delicious. Gone are the days of sticky nylon strands in your food – instead we have silicone basting brushes, special sets with jugs to catch drips and even designer steel brushes, like this one from Eva Solo.
3. Tongs | Lifting meat, turning boerie and lifting delicate fish fillets? All in a day’s work for the braai master. A good set of pincers are vital and we recommend the Cuisipro Tempo Locking Tongs as well as the Eva Solo braai tweezer tongs and elegant 4 piece Phillipi BBQ Wave set.
4. Skewers | Making your own kebabs is just plain brilliant. Whether you’re stepping boldly into the realm of braai puddings with some fruit kebabs (plums & fig fruit kebabs with chocolate sauce perhaps) or making good old marinated chicken, make sure you have some wooden kebab sticks or metal skewers. You can also spice it up by using rosemary or lemon grass stalks.
5. Grid | A braai grid is sort of like a bed, for your meat. If you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and are braai-less, a grid and some bricks can do the trick. Let your chops, sausage and fillets rest comfortably on a sturdy stainless steel grid (check out our range of braai grids).
6. Braai starter | Though by no means a necessity, a braai starter is designed to help you get a fire going at pace. Just fill it with charcoal or briquettes, light it up with some firelighters and you’ll have roaring flames in minutes. Weber make a great chimney starter. Check out this article on how to light a perfect fire on a Weber to see it in action.
7. Thermometer | Having a thermometer handy while you braai enables you to cook roasts, fillet and poultry at the correct temperature (anyone who has eaten dry turkey will vouch for the importance of this). The Kitchen Craft Meat Dial thermometer is a great option, and there are of course fancier toys like this Weber Audible Thermometer with blue tooth roaming option.
8. Specialised tools for meat and veggies | When you decide it’s time to venture beyond boerie and kebabs, there are some helpful tools to make tender roast chicken, evenly cooked ribs and tasty chargrilled veggies a reality. If you’re up for some braai experimentation, check out Weber’s poultry roaster, rib rack and corn and tator rack (and learn how to make brilliant beer chicken on the braai).
9. Portable braai | Being able to braai on the go opens up a whole new world of picnic food (think professional forest picnic, hot kebabs at sunset on the beach or even a neat table grill for your dining room table). For outdoor adventuring, Weber’s Smokey Joe Portable Braai or the Hot Rods Bag o Braai work a treat. For indoor grilling, the Eva Solo Table Grill has been known to knock foodie socks off.
10. Cleaning & caring equipment | If you invest in a braai it’s a good idea to keep it spick and span. A grill cleaning brush works well for this, and we like Weber T-brush and Eva Solo Steel Grill brush. If you have a Weber, consider buying a cover to keep it safe from rust and the weather.
Summer is here… Look out for more recipes and braai articles on Spatula as we gear you up for a sizzling season in the sunshine.
How to make perfect beer chicken on the braai
Direct versus indrect cooking on a Weber
How to light a perfect Weber fire