National Braai Day’s Jan Braai Launches Range of Potjie Sauces Just in Time for Heritage Day

15 years ago, Jan Braai ignited National Braai Day encouraging all South Africans to unite around fires on 24 September every year. Now, he is the author of five best-selling braai books, is the host of talk show, Jan Braai vir Erfenis, and he runs several of his own annual events where he shares his passion for his country and food.

This year, Jan Braai wants to inspire South African braaiers to unite around the fire. And in celebration of Heritage Day, Jan Braai’s newly launched range of Potjie Sauces hopes to add zest and relish to the age-old potjiekos favourites. A dish that is best prepared with a variety of ingredients, typically meat and vegetables, layered in a round cast-iron pot and placed on open coals, potjie is a much loved South African favourite. Now, thanks to this new range of sauces, this humble tradition can reach new levels of taste and make the practice of making potjiekos as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The new range offers 3 exciting ready-to-use potjie sauces including Classic Lamb, Classic Oxtail, and Classic Chicken. The serves-4 sauces feature a serves-4 recipe on each pack. The sauces are easy to use and were developed to help you nail the best perfect potjie in 3 steps.

Start by browning your chosen meat, next add the vegetables and potjie sauce. Each bag specifies how much sauce to add to the potjie pot and features an easy-to-follow recipe for meat and vegetable quantities. The sauces include spices and just the right amount of liquid so that the liquid level of your potjie is perfect. Once the sauce is in the pot you simply put the lid on the pot and let your potjie simmer. The chicken should take about 90 minutes, the lamb 2 hours 30 minutes, and the oxtail for 5 hours.

The new range of Jan Braai Potjie sauces join the range of Jan Braai Basting Sauces and Hot Sauces to offer everything you need for the perfect braai experience.

The Jan Braai range of Potjie Sauce, Basting Sauces and Chilli Sauces will be available from all major retailers across South Africa at a recommended price of R42.99 per bag.

But wait, there’s more. Jan Braai has also shared his best-kept potjiekos secrets with us! Keep reading for these 5 tips that will ensure you don’t under (or over-spice the potjie). It’s critical to get these ratios correct, especially for the elusive and perfect oxtail potjie.

“With more than 17 years of experience, I’ve travelled the world to discover the best-kept secrets in potjie-making, and it’s worth sharing these as we celebrate National Braai Day,” explains Jan Braai.

Jan Braai’s Top 5 Potjie Tips

1. Start off with a searing hot potjie over direct flames. We want to quickly brown the meat and onion with some oil. At this stage, the meat needs just salt and pepper.

2. If after the searing part, bits of onion or meat is sticking to the bottom of the potjie, add a dash of water to scrape it loose and move the potjie to an area of less intense heat.

3. Now the vegetables and the relevant pouch of Jan Braai Potjie Sauce. The Jan Braai Potjie sauce contains all other herbs, spices and flavours that the potjie needs. The liquid in the potjie together with the liquid that will naturally be released by the vegetables as it cooks will get you to a perfect liquid level at the end. We’re not making soup!

4. Trust the system. Do not stir the potjie excessively as this will break up the vegetables. Gently loosen any bits of vegetable or meat that gets stuck to the bottom of the potjie and let the potjie simmer with the lid on until the meat cooks loose off the bone. Times of respective meats are specified on the back of each pack.

5. Jan Braai Potjie Sauce pouches are available in Lamb, Chicken and Oxtail. If you follow the steps above and use exactly the vegetables specified on the back of each pack, you will create a memorable success.

6. Clean and dry your pot after each use and coat the inside with baking spray to ensure that the potjie does not rust and is in perfect condition for the next time.

Article originally published on WomenStuff.co.za