After reading some of our recent posts regarding grilling here in the ‘States, one awesome reader named Freddie took the time to write in and tell us a bit about how BBQ works in his home of South Africa.  They call it “Braai” (as in br-eye), and while the recipes differ a bit from what we’re used to, one thing is exactly the same: the comeraderie of burning some meat with friends.

We wrote back to ask a few questions, and Freddie sent us a set of recipes, descriptions, and even photos the be kindly agreed to allow us to share with you.  So here you go: Freddie’s personal “Guide To A Good Braai.”

(Pictured: “A pretty traditional braai with a porkrib, some “boerewors” (the sausage) and a “potjie” (the pot).”

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Maybe you can help us settle a long-running argument around the Toolmonger offices: gas or charcoal?

I’ll admit to being an ardent supporter of gas grills for many years — before I finally converted.  My father always had gas grills, and during most of my young life I lived in one apartment or another and was concerned about fire safety.  (You can’t easily “turn off” charcoal, and I didn’t like the idea of leaving a burning fire on the porch for hours.)  I also liked being able to easily control heat.

But last year, Sean shamed me into going old school.  After my gas grill broke down for the third or fourth time — they only last a season or so without a major rebuild (or a seriously major investment) — and he still had ‘que at his house via his $25 charcoal box, I relented.  Since then I’ve totally become a convert — like one of those guys who won’t shut up about his new Apple computer.  I love the simplicity, the flavor, and even the social aspects of charcoal.  I’ve even learned to control the heat — even in my $45 cheap-o grill.

So what do you think?  Gas or charcoal?  Why?  Let us know in comments.

Randy writes: “I used to have a Weber long-handled wood grill brush with brass bristles.  I’ve had a Char-Broil Brush Hawg for several months and have used it perhaps a dozen or so times.  In my opinion, it’s an improvement.  It’s a fairly sturdy plastic grill brush with changable stainless bristle pads.  The bristles seem to stand up to reasonable grill scrubbing duties.  There’s a stainless lip on the front for scraping, and a stainless hook on the back lifts grates and doubles as a storage hook for hanging the brush on the side of the grill.  My only complaint is that the front lip sticks up a little too high for my grill and catches on the hanging rack in the back when I’m cleaning the grates.  Pricing for the brush is about $12 and the replacement pads are about $4.”

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No matter how hard we try, we always seem to end up in front of the BBQ after dark.  And while night-’quing makes it easier to see if the charcoal’s fully ignited, it makes checking the state of the food a bit tricky — unless you have a BBQ light.  H. Wesley wrote in to tell us about the LED light pictured above, which we fully intend to add to our grilling arsenal.

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Phillip writes: “Only the biggest Toolmongers have a set of these.”  And he’s correct.  Seriously — the three piece (single place setting) set above is made of 18/10 “drop forged” stainless steel and comes in a blow-molded “heavy duty” ABS plastic box.

Hey — you could put it right next to your Craftsman bottle cap wrench.

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The fact that it’s cold outside is no excuse for serving pan-fried burgers today.  The grill is king, even when you have to freeze your sorry ass off.  But once the burgers are done, there’s no good reason for you to freeze your butt any longer than necessary to clean it: Use a good grill brush.

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We don’t know if this is a nationwide thing, but our local Home Depot has some great deals on charcoal grills right now.  This weekend we picked up a discontinued 22″ Char-Broil for $50 — on sale from $79.

If you’re in the South, there are still plenty of nice days left to cook out.  Heck, here in Texas it’s just getting to where we can go outside without fear of immediate immolation.

Personally, I have to also admit that I’m a first-time convert from gas to charcoal.  What really did it was the fact that every couple of years my gas grill would find a way to render itself useless.  I think it really comes down to the fact that if you’re not willing (or able) to shell out for a grill with cast-iron burners, you’re pretty much going to throw away your gas grill every couple of years.

Yes, I know it’s possible to buy replacement parts, and I’ve done that more than once.  But they never seem to fit right, and after a while the valves and such start to go — leaving you with a dangerous piece of gear.

So here I am learning to cook with charcoal at this late date.  Stop laughing.  (Better yet, drop me a line with some of your best hints and tips.  I could use ‘em!)

Cooking out on the 4th got us in the mood to write about barbeque grills, and we’re preparing a future post about them.  Of course, we’d like to include your views as well.

If you’re an avid BBQer, could you take a moment to drop us an email and tell us a bit about your favorite BBQ grill and what you like and don’t like about it?  We’re specifically interested in:

• What type of grill you prefer — gas or charcoal — and why
• What type of food you primarily prepare (burgers, steaks, chicken, vegetables)
• What you like and don’t like about your existing grill
• What’s the best grill you’ve seen for sale — your “dream grill” — and why
• Your best cooking-out stories

We appreciate your time, and regardless of whether you email or comment below, we’ll enter you in our Game Chair Giveaway.

When we saw this, we couldn’t help but think…  Why didn’t we think of this?  From the “Tool Wizard BBQ Tools” website:

This design will lift heavy loads with minimal effort. Light weight aluminum. Coated handles for maximum comfort. High Quality, heavy duty, construction to last a lifetime!

Pricing starts at $8.22 for the 12″ and goes up to $9.98 for the 25″.  The longer ones look like they’d be great for that big BBQ pit.  No more burned arms or dropped ribs!

Super Scissor Tongs [The Tool Wizard - BBQ Tools]