Braai timing: what goes on the fire first
Work backwards from eating time: when to light, which meat goes on first on a single fire, and the doneness cue for each one.
Most braais serve chicken that is raw at the bone next to steak that went grey while it waited. The fix is to put things on in the right order over the right part of the fire. Work backwards from the time you want to eat.
The clock
- 90 minutes before eating: light a wood fire. For briquettes, 30 to 40 minutes before. See how long to let the fire burn.
- 5 minutes before the meat: put the grid over the coals to heat, then brush it clean.
- Potjies run on their own clock. Lamb, beef and oxtail need 3 to 4 hours, chicken or a seafood sauce stage 1.5 to 2 hours, on a separate small fire. See potjie basics.
Build two zones
Rake most of the coals into the centre and leave a thinner layer around the edge. On a kettle, bank the coals to one side. You need a hot zone for searing and a cooler zone where chicken can cook through and finished meat can wait. Chicken never starts over hot coals. It chars outside and stays raw inside.
The order on a single open fire
| Order | Food | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken pieces, bone in | Cooler edge, turned often | 35 to 45 minutes |
| 2 | Mielies and foil-wrapped vegetables | Edge, or in the embers | 30 to 40 minutes |
| 3 | Boerewors and pork chops | Medium coals | 15 to 20 minutes |
| 4 | Garlic bread and braaibroodjies | Edge, when the chicken is halfway | 15 to 20 minutes |
| 5 | Lamb chops, fat side first | Medium-hot | 10 to 15 minutes |
| 6 | Steak | Hottest centre, last | 7 to 10 minutes |
Steak goes on last because it waits badly. Chicken goes on first because it cannot be hurried. Everything else fits between.
Cues for each meat
- Chicken: juices run clear and the meat at the bone reads 74°C (165°F). If the skin is browning before the inside is done, move it further out.
- Boerewors: firm to the touch, holds its shape when lifted with tongs, and reads 71°C (160°F) through the end of the sausage. Turn it often.
- Pork chops: sear 3 minutes a side over the hot zone, then stand them bone-down on the cooler side to finish. 63°C (145°F).
- Lamb chops: stand them on the fat edge first until it crisps, then lay them flat. Pink in the centre, about 60°C (140°F) for medium-rare.
- Steak, 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick: about 2 minutes a side, then 1.5 minutes a side again, over hot coals for medium-rare. Pull at 52 to 54°C (126 to 129°F) and rest. Medium is 60°C (140°F) off the fire. A thermometer beats guesswork. See safe braai temperatures.
Turning
Steak and chops are turned once or twice. Boerewors is turned often so the casing does not split. Use tongs. A fork punctures the meat and lets the juice out.
Resting and serving
- Steak rests 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
- Chops need a few minutes on the board.
- Chicken and boerewors can go straight to the table.
Finished meat waits on the cool edge of the grid, or on a warm plate under a cloth, while the steak cooks. See salting and resting meat for why resting matters.
After the meat
The dying fire is still useful. Foil-wrapped bananas with chocolate go into the embers for 10 minutes while people eat. If you have a kettle, a malva pudding can go in with the lid on while you clear the plates.
A sample plan for a 1 pm braai
- 11:00 light wood, or 12:20 light briquettes.
- 12:15 chicken on the edge.
- 12:30 mielies and foil vegetables in.
- 12:35 boerewors and pork chops on.
- 12:40 braaibroodjies on the edge.
- 12:45 lamb chops on.
- 12:50 steak on the hot centre.
- 1:00 steak resting, everything else on the table.