Archive for the ‘Barbeque’ Category

Barbecue and Grilling Food Recipes

Almost any social gathering in South Africa is an automatic excuse to light up the barbecue and to start grilling some food and perhaps trying out one of the country’s many delicious traditional recipes. Almost everyone who has ever grilled a chop over a gas or charcoal fire seems to have some secret marinade or a mixture of herbs that is guaranteed to tickle the palate and to create a talking point.

Of course, the universal appeal of these al fresco feasts is not just the result of choosing the right ingredients. The perfect outdoor meal will also require the services of a chef with at least a measure of culinary talent. However, every bit as important is the right cooking equipment. For thousands of South Africans, the secret of the latter is something only to be found in the iconic, blue cylinders that are to be seen in so many homes and campsites all around the country and that instantly define them as a product of one of the world’s leading manufacturers of both gas and charcoal-fired outdoor grillers – Cadac.

From the Mixed Grill to the Gourmet Meal

The humble braai has evolved almost beyond recognition since the days when it was little more than a tray to hold the charcoal and a grid to support the meat. Although, the results from these devices can be exquisite, it has to be said that they are also rather limited in terms of the variety of cuisine that is actually possible with such simple equipment.

By contrast, the advanced gas-fired barbecue designs that are in use today are not just restricted to grilling your food. They represent a quantum leap that now allows for the preparation of many new and exciting recipes, including some that will hold plenty of appeal for the vegetarians.

The Cadac Braaimaxx, for instance, is an exceptionally versatile product. It offers outdoor chefs the choice of 5 different cooking surfaces. These includes a wok in which stir fried vegetables or rice can be prepared and a baking stone on which to bake a mouth-watering, man-sized pizza with toppings that are sure to delight either the carnivores or the veggie fans. Incidentally, because this model was designed with two independent cooking areas, you can actually braai your steaks, chops and worsies on one side while roasting some spicy mixed peppers in red wine on the other.

Marinades and Rubs add a new Dimension

Nobody can dispute the attraction of that characteristic smoky aroma and taste of a porterhouse steak cooked over glowing charcoal. However a gas braai also opens up many new and effective ways in which to introduce some enticing new flavours into a meal of traditional steaks and chops. Marinades, particularly when applied overnight, can transform a simple dish into a masterpiece just bursting with flavours and fragrances.

Steeping them in natural yoghurt with a little rosemary and thyme, a bay leaf, some grated onion and seasoning is guaranteed to have everyone queuing up for those chicken breasts and passing on plenty of compliments to the chef. Cooking on a griddle will also make it easier to ensure that the marinade doesn’t burn.

For those who may prefer their meat a little less moist, there are plenty of commercial rubs available and, mixed with a little olive oil and worked into the meat, the final results can often be stunning. On the other hand, with only the minimum of effort, it is simple enough to produce something quite unique by grinding your preferred selection of herbs and spices in the proportions that best satisfy your personal taste.

If you are lot for ideas, then it certainly makes sense to check with the experts in outdoor living. Cadac not only provides all the equipment for a world-class barbecue but also some great suggestions for grilling food with dozens of scrumptious recipes.

10 Healthy Ideas for a Lean Barbeque Season

Millions of South African families enjoy barbeques. This favourite national pastime defies race, class, ethnicity, social status and age and is enjoyed by people from all walks of life. This, coupled with South Africa’s world famous climate contributes to people wanting to spend time outdoors instead of in stuffy indoors. You can make a BBQ as inexpensive or lavish as you wish. By carefully selecting the foods that you include with the barbeque, and adding inexpensive and healthy fillers such as green salads and fried veggies, people can enjoy an affordable and healthy time around the fire.

With an emphasis on health and healthy living these days, many people are looking into how they can still enjoy their favourite ways of eating and preparing their food, but with a higher emphasis on doing so healthily. You can keep your dinners lean and healthy by taking proactive steps. Here are 10 healthy ideas for a lean BBQ season:

• Flavoursome grilling sauces and marinades: Remember that when marinating and saucing your meats, you can do so without adding too much fat or calories. Chilli sauce, tomato paste, molasses, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce are all very flavoursome without adding a lot of calories. Best of all? These sauces contain 0 grams of fat!

• Marinade your meat using reseal-able plastic bag: A great way to ensure that your marinade is fully absorbed by your meat, fish, chicken or veggies is to place it into a reseal-able bag. Place the meat inside the bag, pour your marinade over the meat and seal the bag. Place the bag in the fridge and allow it to marinade until you’re ready to start the grilling.

• Enjoy a bit of sweetness: You can add a bit of sweetness to your BBQ, but less is perhaps still better. Add a small amount of a sweet ingredient like honey, brown sugar, fruit juice or molasses to your marinade. It will add flavour while also helping to balance and offset other bold spices. If you add too much sweetness, your meat, veg or fish can burn while being grilled over high heat.

• Incorporate delicious veggies: This is perhaps one of the most popular healthy ideas for a lean BBQ season. A great thing about adding veg to the BBQ is that you don’t have to be so preoccupied about overcooking it as you might be with other types of meat. Marinating your veg before grilling them will also help it to caramelise better. Great BBQ veg choices include corn on the cob, eggplant, whole mushrooms and asparagus and zucchini.

• Remove chicken’s skin: Half of the saturated fat in a chicken thigh and breast is contained in its skin, which is why it is such a healthy option to enjoy the chicken skinless.

• Lean meats: Make use of the leanest cuts of pork and beef you can get your hands on, and trim any fat before you start cooking. You will lose a lot of saturated fats this way and avoid feeding it to your family.

• Serving sizes: You can encourage guests to eat smaller portions by grilling the meat in smaller portions. This will also encourage them to eat slower and to socialise more!

• Tenderise the meat: You can marinade lean meat with lower-fat marinades featuring acid ingredients which will break down the tough fibres.

• Healthy grilling: Heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are substances that are formed on the surface of meat that has been cooked to well-done at high temperatures. These have been proven to be unhealthy in humans. Ways to prevent this from forming is to flip the meats more often while on the grill, using low fat marinades and choosing leaner cut meats.

• No processed meat: While it might be tempting, just say no to processed meats and opt for freshly cut and prepared meat.

We are South Africa’s leaders in outdoor cooking equipment and offer you the extensive range of outdoor cooking equipment from Cadac – ideal for the South African family that enjoys to BBQ. Our different ranges include the charcoal range, patio, chef, adventure and camping ranges along with all associated BBQ accessories. Invest in top quality BBQ equipment and grills from one of South Africa’s preeminent leaders in BBQ equipment.

A gas barbeque is great way to get the things started with all your family friends over for the evening. As South Africans we like to have everyone over during big sports events and special occasions where the braai meat gets covered in marinade and shoved into empty space that’s available amidst everything that is piled into the fridge.

Potato salads, bean salads, biltong salads, garlic bread and fresh crispy rolls are always a common site on any table at such occasions and there is always plenty good company to go around. It’s also not uncommon to see how rival supporters always tend to come out of the woodworks during extremely tense games.

How About Doing Some Cooking on a Gas Barbeque

Ideally you want to be able to cook quickly when people get hungry and when you are using coal or wood, you often end up having to spend time getting the fire ready. You also have to time the fire so that the food gets cooked as everyone starts getting hungry.

If you need to whip up a few appetisers during half time, you can do it without worrying about the fire being ready. Then everyone has something to snack on while they talk about the game at half time. The whole idea of a using gas in South Africa is that you have the convenience of being able to cook quickly.

There are Plenty Braai Products Using Gas in South Africa

Many South Africans still prefer to cook there meat over wood and coal fires because they prefer the taste, but it can get frustrating when you have to wait until the fire is ready. Until then, people tend to drink a lot more and the party tends to get a bit rowdy. At least if you feed them at regular intervals you can manage the sobriety levels and have a relatively peaceful evening.

If you plan to do cook a variety of meals you can add on extra pieces that allow you to cook full chickens on the side of the braai while you have the steaks and chops going on the grill. If you are in the mood for something a little bigger, you can buy a rotisserie big enough to handle a leg of lamb or an eisbein for example.

Specialised accessories that help catch all the juices and oils that run off the meat. Depending on how you collect it, you might be able to use that later on in gravy or a basting. Otherwise it’s just a great way to get rid of all those excess fats to leave your meat a whole lot leaner and healthier for you.

You can cook anything from seafood paella to a full continental breakfast on them with the right attachments. If you really feel like spoiling your kids you can even make them pizza all the way out in the bush and they won’t find anything cooler than that.

If you get it mobile, you can take a piece of home wherever you go when you take your gas barbeque with you on your next holiday.

Style and Taste with a Build-in Charcoal BBQ Oven

Many South Africans prefer the comfort of home when entertaining family and friends. For these South Africans the braai is still one of the chosen ways to ensure that everyone enjoys a delicious meal and a day filled with fun and laughter. For many the installation of a build-in charcoal BBQ oven is the best way to get the most out of every opportunity for entertaining.

The build-in charcoal BBQ oven is available in a number of different styles and sizes to suit the requirements of each individual family and the space that they call home. The smaller sizes of build-in charcoal braais are suitable for installation on even a smaller patio, such as those found in townhouses. The larger sizes which have multiple cooking surfaces and other attachments are more suitable for larger homes.

Whatever your requirements as far as a build-in charcoal BBQ oven is, concerned reputable manufacturers will usually have a solution to your requirements. One of the best ways to choose which unit will suit you is to make use of the Internet.

Many of South Africa’s more reputable braai manufacturers have websites with all the information that you require in order to make an informed choice about which build-in charcoal BBQ oven would best suit your needs. A good starting point would be the Cadac website as this features pictures of the various products. As a bonus, this site also features recipes for you to try.

A build-in charcoal BBQ oven will usually have two or more height adjustable cooking grids which will make it a breeze to prepare two different types of food at the same time. If some of your party would prefer something from the ocean and others would prefer the traditional meat based braai then the heights of either of the grids can be adjusted to ensure that both parts of the meal reach the table at the same time.

In order to make the BBQ experience that much easier and less messy your build-in charcoal oven should also have removable charcoal bowls. This makes the preparation of the bed of coals much easier and will take much of the hassle out of the cleanup that should take place after each braai.

Always make an effort to empty and clean the charcoal bowls after the braai as this will make the next opportunity for entertaining that much less stressful. Although your build-in charcoal BBQ oven will usually be sheltered from the elements moisture will almost inevitably get into the bowl if used charcoal and ash are not cleaned out. This makes the cleaning process both messy and unpleasant.

In order to ensure that the build-in charcoal oven that you are purchasing will remain in tip top condition even though it is situated outside make sure that the body of the charcoal oven is coated to resist the effects of moisture and the periodic heating and cooling cycle. Those models that are porcelain coated on all sides offer the best value for money and the assurance that your built-in braai will be in pristine condition each time you entertain.

When you purchase your build-in charcoal BBQ oven ensure that other components such as the charcoal bowl are also coated. This makes cleaning easier and will also make these components more resistant to the effects of the detergents used in the washing of the bowls.

If you plan on purchasing a build-in charcoal BBQ oven always be on the lookout for models that feature a built in warmer tray. This is especially useful if you are going to be entertaining large groups as it allows vegetables and meat to remain warm while you put the finishing touches to the rest of the meal.

Every aspiring outdoor cook wants to be able to control the temperature of the cooking surfaces that they are using to create the perfect meal for friends and family. With the simple BBQ gas burner this control is as simply as turning a knob on the gas cylinder which regulates the flow of gas to the BBQ gas burner, no more chuck keys to get lost and ultimate ease of use.

Many of the larger gas barbecues allow the user to set the heat of each individual gas burner. The Meridian BBQ range from Cadac for instance, can be purchased with a number of gas burners. The modular nature of these larger gas barbecues also allows for the use of attachments such as a wok or even a cooking stone for pizza. The heat supplied by the gas burner to each of these attachments is individually adjustable and it is therefore possible to cook a variety of different foods at the same time using adjustable temperature controls.

The smaller portable gas barbecues that have only one BBQ gas burner can also make use of a variety of different attachments to make the cooking experience both more fun and more productive. These units are perfect for use during a camping trip or even a day spent on the beach. The attachments that are fitted to the BBQ gas burner can include skottle that makes cooking breakfast fast and hassle free, or a solid iron attachment that is perfect for producing mouth watering steaks.

The choice of whether to purchase a patio style barbecue that uses multiple gas burners or a portable model that relies on a single BBQ gas burner to produce delicious meals depends on the requirements of the individual cook and their preferred lifestyle. The addition of a variety of different attachments for use on the BBQ gas burner has made it possible to enjoy a gourmet cooking experience while still taking advantage of the clean and easy to use qualities of a gas barbecue.

The summer holiday season is just around the corner and many children have already begun to think of variants on the “are e there yet” theme, while adults plan how best to fit everything that is required for a top notch holiday into the boot of the family car. Dads and Moms are also scouring the Internet for the best BBQ tips to make that first braai into an occasion to remember. There are a number of different common sense BB tips and hints that will not only make the summer braais more fun, but will also allow families to get the most out of their braais, without any extra mess and with a minimum of fuss and bother.

Firstly, when packing the braai don’t forget all the extras that you’re going to need to handle all that delicious food correctly. Make sure that you pack the braai tongs, spatula, long handled forks and other accessories that you’ll need to prepare that perfect braai. As far as BBQ tips go this one is possibly the single most important as it goes without saying that when you hire a fully equipped holiday home for the duration of the summer holiday you can be sure that at least one essential piece of kit will be missing from that kitchen draw.

Some other common sense BBQ tips include making sure that the gas cylinder is filled prior to leaving the house. Although you can always fill it when you get to your destination the amount of holiday makers at some of South Africa’s more popular destinations means that gas shortages can quickly become a reality. Also make sure that you’ve packed all the accessories that you need to use with the gas braai. Breakfast is not going to be a fun outdoor experience if you’ve left the skottle at home.

A Gas BBQ For Indoor Use

You don’t have to quit braaing just because winter has arrived and the conditions outside just aren’t conducive to outdoor cooking. You can simply move your gas BBQ indoors and go about grilling your food to perfection. It is however very important to note that this is only suitable for a gas BBQ and preferably a smaller more compact model that is easy to move around. Charcoal and wood fires produce fumes that can be harmful to your health in an enclosed environment.

Braai Equipment And Accessories

You need a range of braai equipment (Click here to view more products) to take care of all your cooking needs in an outdoor environment. Apart from the utensils that you will need to turn and cook the food, there are also a number of other accessories that are compatible for use with your outdoor braai. These include the type of grill that you required, griddle and flat pans as well as pots that can be used to cook different types of meals on your braai. A must have grill accessory is a rotisserie that will allow you to cook larger food items such as roasts evenly and to perfection.

For a list of braai equipment and accessories that you can purchase to broaden the spectrum of meals that you can cook outdoors, you can simply contact us.

Items To Acquire For Your Barbeque Equipment Toolset

Of all the types of barbeque equipment that you can add to your outdoor cooking toolset, probably the most important utensil is a pair of tongs. Your pair of tongs can be used to turn and handle the food items on your grill as well as assist you in handling coals without burning yourself. The type of tongs that you choose to fulfil these different tasks is however very important. Silicone or tongs that are made from softer materials are not ideal for handling coals or to be placed directly in the flames. Rather try and opt for stainless steel tongs to meet all your outdoor cooking requirements.

For a list of other utensils that form and important part of your barbeque equipment toolset you should contact us.

Choosing The Right Grills For Your Barbeque

Always keep in mind that the grills on a barbeque are designed for use with the type of barbeque that you have purchased. Grills that are manufactured for use with a gas barbeque may not be compatible for use with a charcoal barbeque and vice versa. The grills for your barbeque should ideally come with your purchase and fit snuggle into the barbeque that you own. You can purchase additional grills to make your cooking experience more convenient but these should be placed on top of the grill that is standard with your barbeque.

Simply contact us to find out more about the grills for your barbeque that are currently available on the market.

Compact And Lightweight Barbeques With Gas

Smaller barbeques fuelled by gas are the perfect cooking equipment to take care of your cooking requirements in the outdoors when you are away form. The smallest version of these types of barbeques consists of a lightweight and compact gas cartridge to which a cooker top can be attached. A number of pots, pans and even a kettle can be placed directly on top of the cooker top to take care of a variety of cooking requirements. The gas cartridge can also be used to take care of your lighting and heating requirements while you are spending time camping, fishing or hiking.

For more information on the types of barbeques with gas that have been created and designed to make outdoor cooking more convenient, you can contact us.