Fire-lighting Made Easy

Let’s break free from the silly idea that women can’t grill. That’s just not true! In South Africa, women actually have more experience than men when it comes to cooking. So, it only makes sense that they would excel at braaing too. So why aren’t women firing up the grill more often?

I reckon a lot of folks just don’t know how to start a fire, plain and simple. That’s the main issue. Because, let me be honest here, once you’ve got that fire going and you’ve got a bed of red-hot coals, it’s basically like having a heat source to cook your food on, kind of like a stove but with way more flavor. (Mind you, there are some terrible male grillers out there, but usually their problem is just overcooking, drying out, or burning the meat completely.)

The Basics of Lighting a Fire

The most important thing you need is enough dry wood. My personal favorites are rooikrans, wingerdstompies (which are pieces of vine wood), black wattle, sekelbos, and mopani. I don’t think it’s worth spending the money or effort to get wood trucked in from another part of the country or continent; just go for the cheapest local wood for your grill.

Have you ever heard of wet wood? It’s when wood is freshly cut and still retains moisture inside. And let me tell you, it’s not ideal. You can actually tell if wood is wet by checking for condensation inside the plastic bag it’s stored in. If you see that, it means the wood is still wet. But don’t worry, I’ve got a solution for you.

The trick is to buy a whole bunch of wood and let it dry in your garden. You can typically get a large quantity of wood, known as a bakkie load, which will be enough to last you a while. Just leave it outdoors and let nature do its thing. Over time, the wood will dry out and be perfect for burning.

Now, let’s move on to building the perfect braai fire. The key is to do it right from the start. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Pack two pieces of wood next to each other, leaving a small gap between them. Make sure the gap is about the same width as the wood.
2. In that gap, place blocks of firelighters like Blitz. These are super handy because they help ignite the fire quickly and easily.
3. When you’re just starting out, use as many firelighters as you can fit in the gap. The more you use, the faster and easier the wood will catch fire. But as you become more experienced, you’ll find that you need fewer firelighters to get the job done.

See? It’s not that complicated. With a little practice, you’ll be a pro at building the perfect braai fire. So go ahead and enjoy those delicious grilled goodies!

Alright, here’s what you need to do. Start by stacking two pieces of wood on top of each other, making sure to place them at a 90-degree angle and leave a gap in between that’s the same size as before. Keep adding more pieces of wood in the same way until you have at least 12 pieces stacked up. Don’t worry about making multiple levels like a fancy Jenga tower – just focus on using up all your wood.

When stacking the wood, it’s best to use the split pieces first because they catch fire more easily. Save the rounder, bark-covered pieces for the top. Once you’re done, your tower of wood should look like a game of Jenga. If it looks like the tower is too tall and unstable, take any leftover pieces of wood and pack them upright around the tower to give it some support.

Now comes the exciting part. Light the firelighters and place them among the wood. If you followed all the steps, your fire should start burning. But if the wood doesn’t catch fire even after all the firelighters have burned out, it’s probably because the wood is too wet. In that case, try sliding more firelighters into the gap at the base of the tower and set them alight. That should do the trick!

Hey there! So, when you’ve got a fire going, it’s best to leave it be. No need to mess around with it unless the whole thing comes crashing down. If that happens, you can use some braai tongs to put any wandering pieces of wood back onto the burning coals. Just be patient and let the fire burn out completely until all the wood has turned into coals. It usually takes about 40 minutes to an hour if you used regular dry braai wood.

Once you got those coals, spread them out evenly using the tongs. Then, you can take your braai grid and hang it over the coals. You can use a tripod or just put a brick under each corner of the grid to keep it stable.

Now, picture yourself cooking on a hot griddle pan on your kitchen stove. Do exactly what you would have done there. It’s as easy as that! And hey, why not send your husband, boyfriend, or son to grab you a drink and get the salad ready while you enjoy your braai?