Kettle braai: Cooker and smoker

Make sure that it’s sealed tightly so that no steam escapes.

It takes a very long time to raise the internal temperature of the brisket from 60°C to 90°C, but it will happen. Place new unlit briquettes in the kettle braai if necessary to ensure that you have heat for the next 4 hours.

Return the wrapped brisket to the kettle braai with the thickest side facing the heat, cover the kettle braai and continue cooking the meat at 110°C–120°C for 4-6 hours, or until the brisket reaches an internal temperature of 90°C.

Once the brisket has reached 90°C, place it in a well-sealed cool box and let it rest for 2 hours or, if there is time, up to 4 hours. This is one of the most important steps in the process, because it gives the meat a chance to reabsorb all the juices.

Once it has rested, slice the brisket against the grain and serve it any way you like. As shown in our photo, we served it with angel buns, coleslaw and the braai sauce.

Martelize uses her kettle braai to smoke food or to cook it slowly – anything from meat to fresh pasta. Many South Africans own a kettle braai, and if you use her method you won’t have to go to the expense of buying a smoker.

Double indirect heat or the snake method The first method is to arrange coals on opposite sides in the kettle braai, with a piece of meat or a loaf of bread in the centre. The snake method involves stacking two rows of unlit briquettes in a semicircle on one side of the kettle braai, and placing a few lit briquettes at one end of the snake; they’ll slowly ignite the next briquette in line and provide even heat over many hours. Smoky flavour To create a smoky flavour, Martelize places a small wooden log on top of the lit and unlit briquettes. But you could also scatter wood shavings over the briquettes.

Constant temperature When it comes to smoking and cooking meat, the biggest challenge is to maintain a constant temperature inside the kettle braai and to lift the lid as little as possible. A thermometer is useful. It’s easy to drill a hole and affix a portable thermometer to the braai, but it’s best to use a dual thermometer that can measure both the temperature inside the kettle braai and inside the meat. This means far less work, as you won’t have to check every 20 minutes that the temperature is remaining constant, or open the kettle braai to test the temperature of the meat.

The minute the temperature rises or drops, use the air vents to adjust it. If the kettle braai gets too hot, close the vents. Once the temperature starts to stabilise, gradually open the vents. If the temperature starts to drop, the vents should be fully opened. This is how you get to know your kettle braai. >

Makes 5 buns

Preparation time 10–15 minutes plus rising time

Cooking time 10 minutes

YOU NEED

• 1 sachet (10 g) instant yeast

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) warm water

• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) sugar

• 2 cups (500 ml) white bread wheat flour, plus extra

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder

• ½ teaspoon (2,5 ml) bicarbonate of soda

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

• 50 g cold butter, cubed

• 50 g cold margarine

• 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk (see ‘Tip” for how to make your own)

THIS IS HOW

Mix the yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the sugar, and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, the rest of the sugar, and the butter and margarine in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse about 5 times or until the mixture has a sandy texture. You should still be able to see pieces of butter.

Add the instant yeast mixture and the buttermilk to the bowl and mix, but don’t overwork the dough. Shape it into a ball and place it on a surface dusted with flour. Fold the dough over and over, press it together and flatten it until it is about 3 cm thick.

Put some flour in a bowl. Take a 10 cm round cookie cutter and dip it into the flour, then cut out rounds of dough without twisting the cutter. Press together the scraps and roll out the dough again to cut out more rounds.

Grease a flat-bottomed cast-iron pot (25 cm in diameter) with butter. Place the dough rounds in it and allow to prove for 40 minutes to 1 hour. To make individual buns that don’t touch one another, you will probably need 2 pots. The buns can also be baked on a baking tray in the oven.

Bake the buns over a high heat with hot coals covering the lid of the pot (200°C) for 10 minutes or until light brown on top.

TIP Make your own buttermilk by stirring 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vinegar or lemon juice through 1 cup (250 ml) milk and letting it stand for several minutes.