OnTap Magazine

ontapmag.co.za | Autumn 2019 | 51 Two things to remember when smoking are that you can over-smoke meat so go easy on the chips. The other is that smoking gives the meat a pink hue, so don’t be alarmed by that. When your chicken is done you should have a beautiful golden skin with a spicy kick. It’s here at last – the long-awaited cookbook from beer ‘n’ braai- loving brothers-in-law Greg Gilowey and Karl Tessendorf. The gorgeous tome features dozens of recipes either featuring beer as an ingredient or designed to pair perfectly with a South African craft brew. Between fires, Greg and Karl chat to local brewers and give insight into our burgeoning beer culture. It’s a book overflowing with passion, and will make you in We have a coveted copy of Beer Food Fire to give away. To be entered into the draw, simply send your favourite beer and braai pairing to lucy@ontapmag.co.za SMOKIN’ HOT TIP equal parts hungry and very, very thirsty. Beer Food Fire (Penguin Random House) is available in book stores nationwide. BEER FOOD FIRE THIS BOOK This is really just chicken and mayo. Except the chicken has been slow smoked and the mayo has been jacked up with all sorts of goodies. Prep time: 20 minutes • Cooking time: 1½–2 hours Ingredients THE CHICKEN 1.5 kg free-range chicken A glug of oil for drizzling Karoo Dust or your favourite braai spice THE WHITE BARBECUE SAUCE 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp lemon juice 3–4 tsp creamed horseradish 1 tsp salt ½ tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper THE WEBER Lump charcoal Drip tray A big handful of smoking chips, pre-soaked in water for 15 mins Method F irst butterfly the chicken. Flip it on its back and, using scissors, cut along the outside of the spine from top to bottom on both sides to remove it. Open up the chicken and gently flatten it out. Drizzle with oil then dust generously with Karoo Dust (or your favourite braai spice). Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce together and refrigerate until you need it. The fire setup for smoking on a Weber is called a two-zone indirect fire. That means that the coals are on one side of the Weber and the drip tray is on the other side. The meat will go above the drip tray and cook via indirect or radiant heat when the lid is on. The smoking chips are placed on the coals during cooking and the smoke will flow over the meat, imparting flavour. You don’t need a massive fire for this method because with the lid on the coal burns slower because you are limiting the oxygen supply. Just make sure that the bottom vents and the vents on the lid are open and placed above the chicken so the smoke will draw out over it. If you have a built-in thermometer, keep the Weber between 150 °C and 160 °C by adjusting the top and bottom vents. When the coals are grey and glowing, add a big handful of soaked chips. Place the chicken breast-side up over the drip tray with the legs pointing towards the fire, then close the lid and let the smoke work its magic. At the one-hour mark, baste the entire chicken with oil and flip it. At the 1½-hour mark, flip the chicken back over and check the internal temperature. Stick a meat thermometer between the thigh and drumstick and it should read at least 75°C. If it’s not done, give it another 20–30 minutes and check again. Serve with the barbecue sauce for dunking and wash it all down with a cold brew.