About the book: (from Penguin Random House South Africa)
“In today’s insta-everything world, cast iron reminds us of a simpler time. A time when things were built to last, not break within a year. A well-seasoned pan is a cooking Swiss Army knife. A solid flat pot is the ultimate campfire jack-of-all-trades, and the humble potjie pot is more than just a pot. It’s our version of low and slow and it has some important lessons to teach. It forces you to relax and enjoy the ride, and to realise that the best things really are worth waiting for. It’s a delicious goal for friends and family to come together and work towards over the course of the day – the ingredients prep, the fire prep, the building of flavour layers and watching the potjie’s bulging belly whisper away. These are steps required for a great potjie day, and the best part is that you get to do it while chatting and laughing with a beer in hand.”
My thoughts:
You will probably remember Karl Tessendorf and Greg Gilowey as contestants on “The Ultimate Braai Master” a couple of years ago. Since then, the guys had their very own TV series, called “Beer Country”, so it is very clear that their mission in life is to make epic fire-food!
Their first cookbook, “Beer Food Fire”, saw the light in 2019 and it is one of our favourite South African/Braai books on our bookshelf. Their “Chipotle Chakalaka” and “Beer and Bacon Jam” is absolutely delicious!
So, being a fan as it is, I was quite excited to hear that the twosome has got a brand new release, “Pots, Pans & Potjies” on the shelves. And this publication did not disappoint.
It starts off like this: “To the cast-iron cowboys (and I would love to assume, cowgirls) and the potjie pioneers who trekked across Africa all those years ago. You didn’t know it at the time, but lugging that heavy cast iron with you left an indelible mark on South African culture and cuisine.”
Included you will find:
- An introduction to “Beer Country”, Karl and Greg
- Cast-Iron Legacy (brief history of potjiekos, anatomy of a potjie, etc).
- Cast-Iron Cooking (ingredients, potjie hacks, sexy serving additions, beer pairings, baking on the braai, etc).
- LOADS of recipes – unique, interesting, and mouthwatering.
- The Cast-Iron Kingdom (rusty potjie rescue, cast-iron care, cast-irons dos and don’ts)
The photography in this book is something to behold (have a look at the ‘page through’ video posted below). It is a gorgeous publication.
To date, we’ve tried two recipes.
First, the “Pulled Brisket and Onions” recipe with vetkoek. You can imagine how good that was!
And also, “Dry-Brined Pork Chops with Jalapeño and Pear Chimichurri”. I can have that chimichurri on everything!
“Pots, Pans & Potjies” is published by Penguin Random House SA and available from all major booksellers.
@roelia_reads Page with me through Beer Country’s Pots, Pans and Potjies by Karl Tessendorf and Greg Gilowey. Mouthwatering and delicious #SouthAfrican recipes! 🇿🇦🤩 TY @penguinrandomhousesa. This is makes a wonderful #bookgift as well! #roeliareads #roeliareadsandcooks #cookbookobsessed #bookifyza #booktok #booktoksa🇿🇦 ♬ Light My Fire (2017 Remaster) – The Doors
Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.