Barbecue or Braai & Potjiekos
To barbecue or braai is to cook meat, poultry, game or fish in the open air over hot charcoal. Originally the term meant the cooking of a whole animal over an open fire or in a pit (in France the word for a whole sheep braai or barbecue is le méchoui.). Barbecued meats are usually basted with a highly seasoned sauce during the cooking process, the timing of which is critical.
Potjiekos directly translated from the Afrikaans means pot food, or food prepared in a pot. A potjiekos is traditionally South African and is a full meal prepared in a three-legged cast-iron pot over hot charcoal. A little cooking oil is first placed in the pot, followed first by the meat, then sliced onions and layers of vegetables according to their cooking times – carrots, potatoes, beans, peas, whatever is your fancy. Add stock to about an inch over the top of the vegetables and season. Replace the lid and simmer for 2 or 3 hours or until cooked. Never stir while cooking. Once the potjiekos is cooked you may stir and serve.
Filed under: 1 Soup & Stew, Outdoor Cooking, cooking terms