Lets Braai Wood Firewood Hardwood BBQ Recipes

by Dan van Straaten March 30, 2021 0 Comments

Dan’s Ultimate Weekend Braai: Crispy Butterflied Chicken & Authentic Braaibroodjies

Let’s be honest. You don’t need a culinary degree to host a killer weekend cookout. You just need good wood, a hot fire, and a cold drink in your hand. Today I am sharing two foolproof staples that I cook all the time. First up is my butterflied chicken BBQ method for getting crispy skin without drying out the meat. And while that bird is resting, we are making proper South African braaibroodjies.

Grab a beer and let’s get the fire going on the freestanding braai rig.

Dan’s Butterflied Chicken BBQ Guide

Spatchcocking is just a fancy word for flattening a chicken. It is the absolute best way to cook poultry over open coals. You get even heat across the whole bird. And you get crispy skin from edge to edge.

What You Need for the Rub

Forget store-bought marinades. This simple oil rub builds a wicked crust over the coals.

1 whole free-range chicken (butterflied)
4 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil
3 fresh garlic cloves, finely crushed
2 tsp smoked paprika
Plenty of sea salt and black pepper
Optional: Juice and zest of 1 fresh lemon for kebabs

How to Cook It Right

The biggest mistake people make is blasting chicken over screaming hot coals for an hour. You end up with burnt skin and raw bone. So we are using a two-zone fire today. Burn down some good African hardwood like Sekelbos or Kameeldoring until you have steady, glowing embers.

Prep the bird: Mix your oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic in a bowl. Brush that rub all over the chicken. Work it under the skin if you can. Let it sit for about an hour while your coals settle.
Sear the center: Put your grill grate on medium-high heat. Drop the chicken dead-center over the hottest coals for just 5 to 10 minutes max. You just want an initial sear to get the fat rendering.
Move to the edges: Slide the bird out to the outer edges of the BBQ. The heat is much gentler there. Turn it regularly with a good pair of braai tongs or a folding grid so you don’t get flare-ups.
Finish and rest: Let it cook slowly on the edges for roughly 35 to 45 minutes. You will know it is done when the juices run clear and the skin is golden brown. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

My Kebab Twist

I also love making chicken kebabs with this exact rub. Cube up some chicken thighs and thread them onto metal skewers. Add a heavy squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the mix. They cook fast and make an awesome finger-food starter.

Proper South African Braaibroodjies

If you have never had a traditional South African braaibroodjie, you are missing out. This is not just a grilled cheese sandwich. It is sweet, savory, smoky, and gooey. We usually serve these straight off the grid as an appetizer while the main meats are resting.

What You Need (Makes 4)

You need thick bread to hold up to the heat and the filling.

8 slices thick white bread
4 tbsp melted unsalted butter
2 cups grated mature cheddar cheese
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 white onion, very thinly sliced
Sea salt and black pepper
3 tbsp peach chutney (preferably Mrs. Ball’s Chutney, but any sweet fruit chutney works)

Traditional Braaibroodjies: The Ultimate South African Grilled Cheese

How to Build and Grill Them

Timing is everything here. You want low, dying embers so the cheese melts completely before the bread burns.

Butter the outside: Brush one side of every bread slice with melted butter.
Build the savory layer: Lay the bread down with the buttered side on the cutting board. Put your grated cheddar on four of the slices. Add your tomato and onion slices on top of the cheese. Season the veggies with salt and pepper so they don’t taste bland.
Add the sweet layer: Spread the chutney thick on the other four slices of bread. Place them chutney-side down onto the sandwich. Your buttered sides should now be facing outward on top and bottom.
Grill over gentle heat: Lock the sandwiches into a folding braai grid. Put them over low, gentle embers.
Flip and melt: Turn them regularly over the coals. You are looking for toasted golden bread and molten, gooey cheese oozing out the sides.

That is all there is to it. Get some good wood on the fire and invite your mates over this weekend. Stock up on your hardwood pallets and give these two recipes a go. Take a photo of your spread and tag us online so we can see your rig in action.

Keep the fire burning,

Dan