By
Annelien Pienaar – Food Consultant
(Author of: Meat the Ultimate Guide / Vleis die Omvattende Gids, Boerekos with a Twist/ Boerekos met ‘n Twist) www.annelienpienaar.co.za
The first meat I decided on was deboned chicken thighs and to pair that with some Impala Spicy Mayo and thyme. The thighs came out sweet & sticky, with well-balanced flavours.
Second in line are pork fillets. A cheaper cut of meat and under utilized! If you say pork, I think honey, mustard, and sage. These three ingredients will bring out the best in pork. Impala’s wonderful Sweet Mustard is a must-have ingredient added to the list to enhance the dish.
Last but not least are the well-known rump cuts of Impala Vleis™. This cut is well aged and cut to perfection for making wonderful Portuguese Espetadas. This cut of meat is tender, juicy, and flavourful and needs no more than just a garlic flavoured salt to bring out the best in the meat.
Not to overwhelm the hosts, make a few salads in advance. I have tasted the Curry Noodle- and the Beetroot Salads at Impala Vleis™ and they are tasty and will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator.
To this collection of recipes, I have added one of my personal favourite recipes to tie the menu together: a fresh garden salad with mango and rocket leaves and a balsamic vinaigrette.
SPICY MAYO CHICKEN THIGH KEBABS
12 deboned Chicken Thighs – with skin
250 ml Impala Spicy Mayo
125 ml plain Yoghurt
2 tbsp (30 ml) dried Thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
4 extra-long Kebab sticks pre-soaked in cold water for 1 hour
Keep the chicken separate and mix all the ingredients together. Place the chicken into the mixture and marinate for 12 hours.
Skewer 3 pieces of chicken thighs onto a skewer and braai over hot coals for 25 minutes and turning constantly. Once the thighs are done, season to taste.
Serve with Impala Curry noodle pasta salad.
Serves 6
HONEY & MUSTARD PORK FILLET KEBABS
4 pork fillets – cut into 4 strips length wise (Link pork)
¼ cup Impala Sweet Mustard
½ cup Buttermilk
½ cup Mayonnaise
¼ cup Funky Ouma olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) Sage, dried
1 tbsp (15 ml) smoked Paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
2 large aubergines, cut into 4 cm cubes, sprinkled with salt, and rinsed after 5 minutes
8 medium sized Kebab sticks, soaked in cold water for 12 hours
Pre-mix all the ingredients together except the salt. Let marinate for 12 hours.
Skewer the pork strips onto kebabs sticks with aubergines in between.
Braai the pork kebabs over hot coals for 20 minutes until done. Baste the left-over sauce over the kebabs as they are cooking.
Salt and pepper once cooked and serve with some Impala beetroot salad.
Serves 6
BEEF STEAK ESPETADA
2.1 kg Rump or Sirloin – cut into 4-5 cm cubes
250 ml Funky Ouma olive oil
3 tbsp crushed Garlic
Fresh or dried Bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
4 xtra-long Kebab sticks pre-soaked in cold water for 1 hour
Mix olive oil and crushed garlic together. Rub this mixture onto the steak and rest for 12 hours. In this instance the olive oil will be absorbed by the meat to render a very soft, moist, and tender cut of meat. Olive oil is a powerful tenderiser without making meat dry.
Skewer the meat in even portions onto the kebab sticks with a piece of bay leaf in between. Roast over hot coals at the following temperatures of your choice. Use a meat thermometer to determine the inside temperature of the meat as it is cooking over the hot coals.
After cooking the steaks, rest them for 2 minutes and then season to taste. By not adding the salt during cooking, meat juices will be preserved and result in a moist and succulent cooked meat.
Serves 6
MANGO & BERRY GARDEN SALAD
To end this wonderful meal why not have a beautiful fresh garden salad.
2 ripe Mangoes – peeled and cut into 1 cm x 1cm cubes
12 strips Baby Sweet Corn
3 tbsp Funky Ouma olive oil
1 Onion – cut into quarters
3 Carrots – cut into julienne strips
1 packet of Rocket leaves
Feta cubes
12 Cherry Roma tomatoes
Olives to taste
Stir fry the baby sweet corn and onion in a hot frying pan with olive oil. Set aside to cool.
Mix all other ingredients into layers and serve with vinaigrette.
Tip: The salad dressing will keep well for 2 months in the refrigerator.
VINAIGRETTE
¼ cup Funky Ouma olive oil
1 tbsp Impala Tangy Mustard
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Thyme or Dill
Salt and pepper to taste