Have you ever tried cooking a 'Poitjie' on the BBQ?
Pronounced as 'poy-key' this traditional South African dish is a winter favourite and can be cooked in various ways, using a wide variety of ingredients, including vegetables, chicken, lamb, beef, etc.
To cook a 'Poitjie' you will first need a 'Poitjie Pot' (obviously) as well as some good quality BBQ fuel that can hold its temperature for a long time. For this particular cook we used Firemasters Premium Hardwood Charcoal, but you can also use our Namibian hardwood as it is a very dense wood with a slow burn.
You will then choose your various ingredients depending on what type of dish you want (lamb, beef, chicken) plus whatever spices and stock you may want to use to accompany the meat - the various options are endless and you will find many different 'Poitjie' recipes online.
Using a little bit of cooking oil, brown your onions and meat in the pot on a high heat and then add your cooking stock, vegetables, herbs and spices (and even some wine).
Reduce the heat by removing some coals from beneath the pot and allow the ingredients to stew for an hour for two (or three or four) depending on how long you want to cook for (or how many beers you want to have in the interim). The longer the better.
Make sure to keep stirring the pot every now and then and keep a small fire going on the side, so that you can add more coals should you decide to go for a longer 3-4 hour cook.
Once you're ready (or simply just starving) then remove the pot from the coals, and serve upon a bed of rice or mashed potatoes and prepare to enjoy the most delicious stew you've ever had!
A very special thanks to Guy Truelock for demonstrating this fantastic method of cooking at his outdoor kitchen, aptly named 'The Savanna Kitchen'.
Check out his Instagram @thesavannakitchen
Check out our website for more information on our premium cooking wood and charcoal selection: Firemasters.uk
Click here to check out this short 'Poitjie' video that we posted onto YouTube