Archive for June, 2012

Accessorize Your Braai by Choosing the Right Braai Accessories

Whether you choose to refer to your al fresco cooking operation as a braai, a barbie or a barbecue, the chances are that you have your own ideas about the best way to prepare your steaks, chops and boerewors. If you happen to favour a simple, fast and clean approach to your preparations then you will, no doubt, have also discovered that liquid petroleum gas is the fuel of choice.

Although still catering for the fans of smoke and briquettes, when it comes to cooking with LPG, one company has developed it into a fine art with a range of cooking and camping accessories that offers its users all of the convenience of the kitchen in the great outdoors. Whether, for you, that means simply dining by the pool or venturing deep into the bush, http://www.cadac.co.za offers everyone the perfect means to make this traditional aspect of South African lifestyle even more enjoyable.

The range of grillers is unrivalled, offering customers a choice of more than 20 units that consists of two, three and four burner models as well as conventional charcoal burners. This means that whether you’re catering for an extended family and friends or going it alone in the bundu while the wife and kids are off visiting your in-laws; there is a product to match the occasion.

Many people that now grill with gas still prefer the glow of an old-fashioned fire made with coals and, to create this nostalgic effect they often use lava rock. The material is, however, very porous and tends to absorb fat that can then serve to transfer flavours between foods. Along with its iconic blue cylinders and kettle braais, the company also supplies ceramic briquettes that serve to disperse the heat even more effectively whilst reducing flaring and having no adverse effect on the natural flavour of the meat during cooking.

Among the many other accessories designed to make your open air culinary efforts both easier and, for the serious chef, more ambitious, are casseroles pots and grill pans, skewers a poultry roaster and even a Tapas set. When it’s time to light up, there’s no need to search for a box of matches or even to flick your Bic. Cadac provides a handy, purpose-designed, refillable lighter with auto ignition that even has a built-in bottle opener for those ice-cold beers.

Where better to keep your cool drinks than in one of the smart bonded-Polyurethane cooler boxes. They are available in sizes from a mere 5 litres all the way up to a massive 70 litres that, when sealed, is able to keep its contents chilled for up to 3 days. All of these units are sold either as individual items or as combos that may include a varying number of ice bricks as well as items such as an insulated six-pack bag and picnic jug.

When the braai is finally over and the guests have gone home, there is still one very important accessory that you should be sure to have on hand. If you have been using one of the cooking grids or perhaps the round BBQ griller for your worsies, then the grill scrubber should serve to make the all-important clean-up task a whole lot easier.

Though the average outdoor dinner is likely to be far more concerned with the food than with the equipment on which it was cooked, those whose job it may be to actually tend the braais and to prepare a tasty meal for all, may have priorities that are more centred on the nature and performance of the grilling apparatus. Today’s outdoor chef, then, will be justifiably thrilled at the range of braai products that are now available from Cadac to make his or her task easier, more versatile and a great deal more fun.

South Africans have long enjoyed the offerings from a leader in this field with elegantly-styled units suitable for traditional charcoal cooking or the cleaner approach of an LPG burner as well as a hybrid version that supports both methods.

The BBQ Range

Cadac offers a range that is truly unequalled by its few rivals and caters for gatherings of all sizes. For those that entertain regularly on a grand scale, the manufacturer offers a built-in braais of either 1000mm or 700mm in width and finished with an interior coat of porcelain enamel to both facilitate cleaning and to prevent rusting. The removable charcoal drawer is similarly coated and the larger unit has two so either one may be used alone when preparing a smaller meal. The height of the two cooking grids is adjustable and the handy warming drawer makes an invaluable addition to these attractively designed products.

Other Braai Equipment

One of the most versatile and, consequently, also one of the most popular of Cadac’s offerings is its iconic kettle. While the range includes several models that are fired by briquettes, the “Leisure Chef” is a model that is fuelled by LPG. The unit has a diameter of 57cm and is supported by a range of interchangeable tops that are suitable for anything from a full breakfast of bacon, eggs, fried tomatoes and mushrooms to a whole chicken or a banquet of boerewors, lamb chops and T-bones.

If you just love that smoky flavour, it can still be attained without coals by the simple process of keeping the lid on while you are cooking your meat. This measure also serves to contain the heat and results in more even cooking as well as requiring far less time than when using an open grill.

Cooking with Gas

Should you decide to give the grilled food a rest and settle for some slow-cooked tomato, green-bean or waterblommetjie bredie, this leading braai specialist offers the perfect opportunity to relax for a couple of hours while their potjie pot simmers on yet another one of this company’s innovative products; the potjie cooker that attaches directly to any of the Cadac cylinders.

The use of LPG offers several advantages over traditional charcoal burning units. Perhaps the most significant of these is the ease with which they may be cleaned. The task is, however, still important to guarantee top performance and long service and should be tackled both regularly and correctly.

Remove any grids and soak in soapy water. Then clean with a wire brush. Expose the burners and clean out any ash or other residue that may have formed on them and the surrounding surfaces. Coat lightly with cooking oil when clean and don’t forget the cover.