Celebrate Braai Day with the Daily News. We are giving away R5 000 worth of Bluff Meat Supply vouchers. All you have to do is tell us the winning recipe

TRYING to think of something different from the usual steak, chops and wors for Braai Day, I looked around my local butcher shop to see if anything unusual was available.

I love the idea of burgers on a braai but often find it quite a lot of work, especially if you’re cooking for a large crowd. I decided to try to make one giant patty with a cheesy filling, which is then served in wedges in place of on a bun. It worked really well and was easy to cook and serve. If you feel the need for bread, it’s great served on toasted slices of ciabatta.

My butcher recommended a cut of steak I have never tried on a braai before, a Holland steak. He cut it from a leg and then butterflied it to make a nice big steak which, when cooked, gets served sliced. It was really tender and had lots of flavour.

The rib-eye chops are really great for impressing guests who will be amazed at their size. Rib eye is one of the tastiest cuts you get, so the flavour will never disappoint.

Espetada always looks impressive on a braai. You can either do big chunks of beef threaded onto soaked wooden skewers or, if you have a bay tree, the traditional way is to thread the meat onto branches cut from the tree.

I like to include chicken when I do a braai and find chicken thigh espetadas work well because you can cook them for a long time and they won’t be tough. Marinating meat helps add extra flavour as well as tenderise it. One often finds most cuts come in a marinade when you buy them, which saves you from having to do this step yourself.