HOT COALS Johan’s ‘Game Meat Marinade

Annica and Johan van Rensburg

Adjusting from -30 to +30 degrees Celsius was not the real challenge, but there were other tests, such as balancing a clumsy three-legged pot on a firepit, and making fire without using a whole packet of firelighters.

It comes naturally to South Africans, but to me, coming from Estonia, cooking outdoors over the fire was radically different from our stirring the stew on the stove.

I got to understand that the word ‘braai’ is not just about cooking steaks over the coals, but it’s an essential social part of South Africans’ lifestyle.

Now, things what I don’t want to miss is the ‘bush’: the francolins’ highpitched shrill, which apparently sounds like ‘beer and cognac’, but more like ‘braai and wine’ to me; the mournful calls of the jackals; the vast sky; and the smell of the crackling firewood while sipping South African wine.

Marrying a South African man, I had to learn three things fast: how to drive off-road – Land Cruisers (you get the hint), making a fire, and how to marinate meat.

Over the years, Johan and I have built up a collection of recipes that we have tried, experimented with and even argued about.

Our recipes don’t have ‘not-to-deviate-from’ measurements. They’re about ideas, fun and flavours – recipes that are flexible to the individual’s taste and to which you can add a pinch more of this or that.

This marinade for game meat is a perfect example of a recipe Johan has tweaked over the years.

RECIPE - GAME MEAT MARINADE Ingredients

1/5 tablespoon juniper berries 1 tablespoon allspice berries 1 tablespoon whole cloves 6 bay leaves 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (or powdered) cinnamon stick (1 teaspoon powdered) Pinch of cayenne pepper 300ml red wine

3 heaped tablespoons peanut butter (optional) 1 tablespoon olive oil Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1

2

3 Grind all the dry ingredients (herbs and spices) with a mortar and pestle. Melt the peanut butter in 100ml heated red wine. Once dissolved, remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Add the game meat and marinade overnight or for at least four hours.

We marinated wildebeest meat, made sosaties, and added capsicums, white wine and cinnamon-soaked peaches.

“I got to understand that the word ‘braai’ is not just turning steaks over the coals, but it's an essential social event part of South Africans lifestyle.”

When camping, the

dry ingredients can be ready-made beforehand and stored in a container, ready to make a marinade when needed.

The marinade can be made in bigger quantity and kept in an airtight container in the freezer for future use.

You can change the quantity of spices according to your taste.

This marinade works with any game meat.