The Ultimate Braai Master Live at Emperor’s Palace begins tomorrow and as a taster of all the demonstrations and expertise that will be on display, we spoke with famed chef and Ultimate Braai Master judge Pete Goffe-Wood about the braai experiences that shaped him. We also tried to get him to give away some secrets early.
What is your earliest memory of braaiing?
I don’t remember braaing much as a kid, we never went camping on family holidays. My first real memories of braaing were from varsity days in Cape Town. I used to live and hang out with a bunch of surfers in those days and we were forever heading off to remote places – they would surf, and I would Braai & take care of all the food for the trip.
One crazy excursion, in particular, sticks out – it was a trip to Elands Bay on the West Coast. On arrival, we went diving and caught the most magnificent crayfish. The lads spent the rest of the day surfing and I spent it toiling away in my makeshift kitchen, out the back of a bakkie. All I remember of the feast was huge mountains of crayfish shells, half a bag of spent lemon wedges, a pot of garlic butter wiped clean by the last morsel of bread and about a dozen empty wine bottles.
How often do you braai? Is it a regular thing, or for special occasions only?
When we first moved to Hout Bay we rented a house that didn’t have a hob or an oven, so I started cooking everything on my trusty Weber, I enjoyed the concept of cooking everything on open flames so much that it took over a year before we invested in a stove.
These days I probably braai three or four times a week, all depends on the load-shedding schedule.
What is your favourite thing to braai and why?
That’s a difficult thing to answer because it all depends on the time and the company – when there’s just two of us, my go-to is rump steak, its quick & in my opinion the most flavoursome cut of beef, particularly if you use the Picanha, which is the rump cap.
Another of my favourites on the braai is lamb chops. But if I’m entertaining and have an afternoon to cook – a long and slow Pork Belly will always be my favourite.
What is your favourite wine to pair with a braai?
For white wine I’m partial to Chenin Blanc and my favourite is from the Breede Valley – the Opstal Carl Everson and when it comes to reds I’m a huge fan of Pinot Noir, and for me the best is from the Hemel & Aarde Valley – the Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir.
Both are quite versatile wines that will pair with a range of different flavour profiles over the coals but both love a bit of smoke.
Do you have any quick tips for our readers on braaiing? What should they consider?
The first thing to figure out when braaing is what kind of fire do you need, based on what you intend cooking. Steak for example requires a good hot bed of coals because you want to cook it quickly at a high temperature, but for chicken, especially on the bone you want a less intense fire that will impart flavour but not char the outside before it cooks through.
The Ultimate Braai Master Live takes place from the 1st to the 3rd of September at the Red Roman Shed at Emperor’s Palace. It includes interactive entertainment (cook-offs, and challenges), the latest braai products & accessories, delicious food and drinks (Food Trucks, Beer Garden, Craft Beer, Wine Tastings) as well as music & children’s entertainment. As well as Pete Goffe-Wood, other chefs in attendance include Benny Masekwameng, Chris Forrest, Chef Vaatjie, Stuart McClarty, Moses Maloi, Kevin the Meat Ranger and Borries Bornman.
Tickets cost just R130 or R300 for the VIPs and can be bought here.
