Steak and chips with garlic mayonnaise

With National Braai Day coming up tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to post a recipe for what I’m intending to braai:  a perfect steak. Yes, I also love to braai peri-peri chicken, boerewors, lamb chops, snoek and braai broodjies, but to me steak remains the King of the grill.

After recently working with Jan Braai on his second book “Red Hot“, I quickly got some tips on how to braai the ultimate steak. Jan is a seasoned pro at making fires and braaing anything from meat to mielies to roosterkoek. Read more about Jan’s steak braaing tips on his blog.

There are a few rules that we now always apply when braaing steak at home:

1) Use a low grid over a very hot fire, with some flames licking the meat (or a very hot griddle pan).

2) Turn the meat only once.

3) Braai the steak for only 7 minutes in total (3 1/2 minutes a side), nothing more, nothing less.

If you buy good quality matured meat, you’re already halfway there to creating a mouthwatering plate of food. I prefer to brush my steaks with olive oil before seasoning it on both sides and placing them on the grid – no basting sauce necessary.

Make sure your fries are timed to be ready when your meat has rested for a few minutes, then serve it with garlic mayonnaise (aoli). True simplicity, satisfaction guaranteed. You won’t need anything else.

Happy Braai Day everyone!

Ingredients for steaks:

• 200-300g thick cut mature steak (per person), at room temperature (I prefer rib-eye/rump/sirloin)
• olive oil
• salt and black pepper

1. Make a large fire, then wait for the coals to be ready for grilling. A few licking flames will just add to the flavour.
2. Use a brush to oil the steaks on both sides, then season them well with salt and pepper.
3. Place the steaks on the grill, then braai for 3 1/2 minutes on each side, turning them only once. This will give a medium rare result.
4. Set the steaks aside on a wooden plank or plate to rest for 5 minutes, then serve hot with fries and mayonnaise.

Ingredients for potato chips (french fries):

Remember to always be very careful around hot oil – it can be very dangerous.

• 1 med-large potato per person, cut into chips
• about 750ml – 1 litre canola oil for frying

1. Heat the oil in a medium size pot to about 180 C, then fry batches of the chips until they just start to turn a pale golden colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Let it cool slightly.
2. Just when your steaks go onto the fire, fry them for a second time until they are golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain again. Serve hot with sprinkled salt flakes & garlic mayo.

Ingredients for garlic mayonnaise:

• 2 egg yolks
• 30 ml lemon juice
• 10 ml Dijon mustard
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• about 150-200 ml canola oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely crushed

1. In a tall cup or plastic container, add the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Use a stick blender to give it a whizz.
2. With the stick blender’s motor running, add the oil in a very thin stream, making sure that you create an emulsion that will thicken as you add more oil.
3. When all the oil has been added, add the crushed garlic clove and whizz again to blend well. Taste the mayonnaise and add more salt or pepper if necessary. Serve with the warm steak & chips.

Credits:

This post was especially written for The Pretty Blog by Ilse van der Merwe from The Food Fox.

Recipe, food preparation and text: Ilse van der Merwe.

Photography: Tasha Seccombe.

Styling: Nicola Pretorius & Tasha Seccombe.