A Christmas BBQ in England? You must be South African!

The South African “braai”, or BBQ as we know it, is known to be something of an occasion. It makes sense, therefore, that braais would be popular around Christmas time, particularly if you consider that the South African Christmas falls in the middle of summer.

In fact, it is not unusual for a braai to be used to cook the Christmas meal. As in the UK, turkey, duck, beef, and pork are popular choices for meat. Yellow rice and vegetables are often served alongside the meat. South Africans take pride in the way that the braai is done; it is not simply a case of throwing meat on the grill and waiting for it to turn black the way most people do in the UK.

Although temperatures are a lower on Christmas in the UK, you could take inspiration from the South African braai with a BBQ Christmas meal. Your neighbours might think that you have lost the plot, but they may follow your lead once they see what you can produce! Surprisingly, there is a growing number of people who are actively encouraging people to use their BBQ regardless of the weather or season.

This is something that has already caught on in the US, where a large number of people are choosing to cook their Thanksgiving turkey on a BBQ. But why should you cook it this way, and how does it work?

You need to make sure that you have a BBQ with a lid. Cooking your turkey this way creates space in your oven for other things, which is ideal if you have a lot of people coming over. The BBQ thus becomes an alternative oven and you can still baste the meat as you normally would if you were cooking it indoors. There are plenty of available hints and recipes that you can make use of for your Christmas BBQ.

If you are planning ahead for the festive season, you can have a Christmas-themed BBQ in advance of the day itself as an alternative to the Christmas party. One of two people may wonder if you have South African roots; they will certainly be intrigued to know where you got your inspiration. Essentially, having a braai is a great way to have an exciting Christmas event where there will not only be beautifully cooked meats, but also a whole range of delicious side dishes.