At the counter
Meat glossary
Arrive at the Cape and you face a counter full of words that exist nowhere else. This table translates them and tells you, for each cut, what to do with it at a fire.
Beef
Rump
Rump
South Africa's most popular steak. Strong in flavour, with a fat cap, medium in tenderness.
Two seconds to sear, then move it to the clear side.
Cook it: T-bone with braai salt · Gatsby
Fillet
Fillet · tenderloin
Fillet in South Africa and Britain, tenderloin in the United States. The most tender and leanest cut.
Very short and very hot. With no fat it forgives no extra minute.
Cook it: Bacon-wrapped springbok loin
Sirloin
Sirloin · striploin, strip steak
What Americans call strip steak is sirloin in South Africa, Britain and Australia. Careful: the American short loin is a different thing.
Two to four seconds. Sear the fat edge first or it stays soft.
Cook it: T-bone with braai salt
Silverside
Silverside
From the hindquarter, lean, boneless, with a silvery membrane. Bottom round in the United States.
Not a steak cut. The classic choice for biltong and for boerewors.
Cook it: Biltong · Frikkadelle
| At the counter | What it is | At the fire |
|---|---|---|
| Rump Rump | South Africa's most popular steak. Strong in flavour, with a fat cap, medium in tenderness. | Two seconds to sear, then move it to the clear side. T-bone with braai salt · Gatsby |
| Fillet Fillet · tenderloin | Fillet in South Africa and Britain, tenderloin in the United States. The most tender and leanest cut. | Very short and very hot. With no fat it forgives no extra minute. Bacon-wrapped springbok loin |
| Sirloin Sirloin · striploin, strip steak | What Americans call strip steak is sirloin in South Africa, Britain and Australia. Careful: the American short loin is a different thing. | Two to four seconds. Sear the fat edge first or it stays soft. T-bone with braai salt |
| Silverside Silverside | From the hindquarter, lean, boneless, with a silvery membrane. Bottom round in the United States. | Not a steak cut. The classic choice for biltong and for boerewors. Biltong · Frikkadelle |
Lamb
Tjops
Chops · chops
Usually lamb chops, sometimes pork. Cut from the loin or the rib.
Four seconds on the hand test, fat edge first. Buy them at least 2.5 cm thick.
Cook it: Karoo lamb chops
Skaaptjops
Lamb chops
Literally sheep chops. At the Cape that usually means Karoo lamb — animals grazing on salty Karoo scrub.
Four seconds, three to four minutes a side, then five minutes resting.
Cook it: Karoo lamb chops · Sosaties with apricot
Sosaties
Sosaties
Lamb skewers with apricot in a curried vinegar marinade. The name joins saus and sate.
Four seconds, ten to twelve minutes, basted only at the end.
Cook it: Sosaties with apricot
| At the counter | What it is | At the fire |
|---|---|---|
| Tjops Chops · chops | Usually lamb chops, sometimes pork. Cut from the loin or the rib. | Four seconds on the hand test, fat edge first. Buy them at least 2.5 cm thick. Karoo lamb chops |
| Skaaptjops Lamb chops | Literally sheep chops. At the Cape that usually means Karoo lamb — animals grazing on salty Karoo scrub. | Four seconds, three to four minutes a side, then five minutes resting. Karoo lamb chops · Sosaties with apricot |
| Sosaties Sosaties | Lamb skewers with apricot in a curried vinegar marinade. The name joins saus and sate. | Four seconds, ten to twelve minutes, basted only at the end. Sosaties with apricot |
Pork
Rashers
Pork belly slices
Slices of pork belly about 1.5 cm thick, cut across the strip. Not the same as breakfast bacon.
Six seconds, 20 minutes, and away from the hottest spot — the fat drips.
Cook it: Pork belly rashers
Ribbetjies
Ribs · ribs
Pork or lamb ribs, usually sold as whole racks.
Pre-cook in the oven, then six seconds on the hand test and baste constantly.
Cook it: Ribbetjies
Kassler
Kassler
Cured and smoked pork chop, a fixture in a South African braai pack.
Already cooked. Six to eight seconds, just heat it through and take some colour.
| At the counter | What it is | At the fire |
|---|---|---|
| Rashers Pork belly slices | Slices of pork belly about 1.5 cm thick, cut across the strip. Not the same as breakfast bacon. | Six seconds, 20 minutes, and away from the hottest spot — the fat drips. Pork belly rashers |
| Ribbetjies Ribs · ribs | Pork or lamb ribs, usually sold as whole racks. | Pre-cook in the oven, then six seconds on the hand test and baste constantly. Ribbetjies |
| Kassler Kassler | Cured and smoked pork chop, a fixture in a South African braai pack. | Already cooked. Six to eight seconds, just heat it through and take some colour. |
Sausage
Wors
Sausage · boerewors
Short for boerewors. Coarsely ground beef with pork belly, coriander and vinegar, in one continuous coil.
Eight seconds on the hand test, one turn, never pierced.
Droëwors
Droëwors
Air-dried boerewors of beef and lamb in a thin casing. No pork fat.
Never goes near a fire. Air-dried for six to seven days.
Cook it: Droëwors
| At the counter | What it is | At the fire |
|---|---|---|
| Wors Sausage · boerewors | Short for boerewors. Coarsely ground beef with pork belly, coriander and vinegar, in one continuous coil. | Eight seconds on the hand test, one turn, never pierced. Boerewors · Braai pie |
| Droëwors Droëwors | Air-dried boerewors of beef and lamb in a thin casing. No pork fat. | Never goes near a fire. Air-dried for six to seven days. Droëwors |
And the rest
Braai pack
Braai pack
A mixed pack of wors, chops and steaks, usually 3 to 5 kg. The standard purchase when people are coming.
It contains cuts with very different cooking times. Sort it before anything goes on — steaks first, wors last.
Cook it: Boerewors · Karoo lamb chops · T-bone with braai salt
Snoek
Snoek
Thyrsites atun, an oily predator of the Benguela current. Sold butterflied, not filleted.
Six seconds, on foil, with apricot glaze. Plenty of fine bones.
Cook it: Snoek with apricot glaze · Smoorsnoek
Netvet
Caul fat · caul fat
The fatty membrane around the kidneys. Never in the display — order it ahead.
Wrapped around liver it becomes skilpadjies. It melts almost entirely as it cooks.
Cook it: Skilpadjies
Biltong
Biltong
Thickly cut beef, steeped in vinegar and air-dried. Not the same thing as jerky.
No fire involved. Three to six days at 40 to 60 percent humidity.
Cook it: Biltong · Biltong salad
| At the counter | What it is | At the fire |
|---|---|---|
| Braai pack Braai pack | A mixed pack of wors, chops and steaks, usually 3 to 5 kg. The standard purchase when people are coming. | It contains cuts with very different cooking times. Sort it before anything goes on — steaks first, wors last. Boerewors · Karoo lamb chops · T-bone with braai salt |
| Snoek Snoek | Thyrsites atun, an oily predator of the Benguela current. Sold butterflied, not filleted. | Six seconds, on foil, with apricot glaze. Plenty of fine bones. Snoek with apricot glaze · Smoorsnoek |
| Netvet Caul fat · caul fat | The fatty membrane around the kidneys. Never in the display — order it ahead. | Wrapped around liver it becomes skilpadjies. It melts almost entirely as it cooks. Skilpadjies |
| Biltong Biltong | Thickly cut beef, steeped in vinegar and air-dried. Not the same thing as jerky. | No fire involved. Three to six days at 40 to 60 percent humidity. Biltong · Biltong salad |