Around The Fire

This Heritage Day, make the braai a little more special. Think beautifully aged steaks, slow-cooked lamb, fragrant rosemary and garlic, wood smoke curling through the afternoon air, and meat that deserves to be the centre of attention.

At Curehouse: Go Big

For a proper celebration steak, they recommend reaching for an aged T-bone, Tomahawk or Picanha. Their free-range beef comes from mature cattle, with B and C Grade beef selected for a particularly rich, full beef flavour. And their steaks are made for occasions: substantial, generously sized and certainly not your everyday minute steak.

The secret? Take the heat down a little. Curehouse suggests cooking these impressive cuts over a lower heat for longer, taking inspiration from the Argentinian way of doing things.

And, naturally, Heritage Day calls for biltong. Curehouse takes great pride in its beef biltong: the ideal thing to have within easy reach while the fire gets going.

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At Daddy Pig Butchery: Let It Smoke

The Heritage Day braai is all about beautifully marbled ribeye steak and a whole rack of lamb ribs for Daddy Pig.

For the lamb, the winning combination is wonderfully simple: rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and coarse salt. The rack is cooked slowly over indirect heat in a Weber, with the coals pushed to one side and a piece of oak, fruit-tree or nut-tree wood tucked against them to create fragrant smoke.

Place the lamb away from the direct heat, close the lid and let time do the work. After around two to three hours - depending on the size of the rack and heat of your fire, you should have wonderfully tender, slow-roasted lamb with a gentle smokiness.

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For the Perfect Steak

There is one small detail that can make a big difference. If your steak is vacuum-packed, take it out 15–20 minutes before cooking and let it reach room temperature. Season, then let it sit briefly, then put it over a hot fire. Once cooked, give it another 15–20 minutes to rest. It is worth the wait! Resting allows the juices to settle back into the meat, leaving you with a juicier, more flavoursome steak.

The Finishing Touch
For big, rich cuts such as ribeye, picanha and tomahawk, our suggestion is a bowl of fresh chimichurri on the side: parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and a little chilli. The fresh, herby acidity is a lovely counterpoint to beautifully charred beef.

Then all that remains is the essential Heritage Day formula: beautiful meat, good company and something cold in your glass.