Braai, barbecuing with extra soul

After American and Japanese barbecues, here comes the braai, from South Africa. With all its history.

BBQ CULTURES. Gone are the days of charred sausages on disposable grills! Today, barbecuing comes in many forms, reflecting different cultures: Japanese kamado and konro, American smoker and Santa Maria, Argentine asado... Against this backdrop, a new type of barbecue is making its appearance in Europe: the braai, from South Africa.

NEW TOY. "The braai brings out lots of wood-fired flavors. It really makes a difference," says Pascal Schmutz (large photo above), 2010 "Discovery of the Year" and former 16/20 chef at the Sens restaurant in Vitznau (LU). Now a consultant, the chef cooks at events throughout Switzerland. And his new favorite toy, which he presented at the end of July at GaultMillau, is called the braai ("grilled meat" in Afrikaans).

The talented chef Pascal Schmutz.

A brazier? No: a braai. A complete tool for cooking over a wood fire.

Even cheese is cooked on the braai: grilled, melted, and smoked to perfection.

BETTER THAN A BRAZIER? The device used by Pascal Schmutz is manufactured by Braaimaster. Made from Corten steel and stainless steel in a Dutch factory, his braai resembles a large pizza oven with a chimney. A central metal firebox (or ember box) holds logs for quick lighting, in about 20 minutes. Once the first embers have formed, they are poked with a poker to make them fall to the bottom and spread out where they are needed. The food is placed on grates above the embers, just like any other barbecue. "The great thing is that there are lots of heat zones, which is very handy when you're cooking several dishes at once," says the chef, placing a veal chop on the side of the braai, away from the much hotter main firebox.

Who said braai was just for meat? Even pizza has a place on the grill! 

Underneath the caramelized crust lies a perfectly juicy veal chop.

Roasted potatoes: simplicity enhanced by fire.

COOKING OVER A FIRE. "I prefer cooking on a braai rather than a brazier," says Pascal Schmutz. Braais fall into the category of "large" barbecues. You can grill, smoke, roast (on the upper grates), and even cook dishes in special cast iron or steel utensils. In fact, the braai is a versatile tool that can be used to cook just about anything, from appetizers to desserts, while providing entertainment and bringing guests together around the chef. "There's something really special about cooking on the braai and having people come over to watch. Cooking over an open fire is a whole other world. It's an ancient method that you can't cheat with," explains the chef, who estimates that he can feed up to 100 people with the large model shown here.

Pascal Schmutz at work on his Braaimaster.

Perfectly cooked, beautifully presented: braai, haute cuisine style.

STRONG IDENTITY. More than just a grill, the braai is an integral part of South African identity. It is the result of the many cultures that have shaped the population of this country with its turbulent history. "It's a social and unifying object," explains Laurent Auberson, who represents the brand in Switzerland. In South Africa, it has become a verb: 'come braai at home'. They even have a public holiday dedicated to it, on September 24." He has been selling them in Switzerland for a year, mainly to fans of open-fire cooking, which is becoming increasingly fashionable, or to expatriates who have lived in South Africa. With a starting price of 3,000 francs, it's not the most affordable barbecue. But its possibilities are endless, insists Laurent Auberson: "You can cook absolutely anything at high or low temperatures, with direct or indirect heat. With its chimney, you can even install it under cover or build it into a kitchen."

AN EXTRA TOUCH. Pascal Schmutz insists on letting us taste his braai-cooked dishes. The veal chop, seared on a grill then cooked over the coals before being finished at a lower temperature, is succulent, with a wonderful crust and powerful woody notes. He has also prepared a squash purée, buttered beans, and Swiss chard, which we enjoy with a glass of Chardonnay from Lake Biel. Celebrating special occasions, gathering around a delicious meal cooked over a wood fire: in just half an hour spent around the braai, we already understood the South African barbecue philosophy perfectly. A philosophy that makes you want to eat again and again and spend the whole day there. What if it were the conviviality, the little extra something about this barbecue?

Photos: Kove

by Fabien Goubet | August 5, 2025

Source: Gault Millau