Springbok Ribs Potjie

The Journey towards this recipe is one of my own realization that a whole people, nation or race cannot be judged (something we should not be doing in the first place) based upon the actions of the past, generalizations and just shear stories. Growing up at the back end of apartheid, I did not experience the true brutality for which it is famous but one of the undeniable results is the brush with which we (non-whites) paint Afrikaans people. It was a lesson that was made possible by my parents with religion which was to be respectful of everybody and never be rude. I try as much as possible to live by these tenants. Try being the operative word.

Generally Afrikaans people have a very hard/robust exterior which might easily give the impression of an intolerant, hardhearted nation. Let me be the first to say that it is not true at all.(judge, book, cover comes to mind) I agree that there maybe plugs among them but there are plugs everywhere. These plugs are responsible for demonizing whole nations and we (as a human race) just never learn and commit the same dumbness again and again. (judging and action on stereotypes)

When I moved to our nations capital, away from the close knit world within which I existed in KZN, I think/believe I grew as a person. I met numerous Afrikaans people, some truly amazing individuals and the plugs. I am a Muslim Indian know of truly amazing people and the plugs within my own race and religion. The similarities between nations/peoples/religions is astounding.

Anyhow I was invited by a set of Afrikaans friends to go hunting, they were hospitable for my dietary requirements (halal), did not force alcohol on me, thought me how to use a gun (for the first time) and I shot 1 springbok (I believe it was by fluke). I knew that was it for me, because what am I going to do shooting more animals than what is required for me and my better half. This action also thought me to respect life no matter what it is draped in, both figuratively and literally.

On the evening I experienced one of the best rugby matches ever, Springboks vs England, on Radio 2000, playing in the Kalahari as the sunset and brought on the cold night, with a blazing fire going and we prepared meat and enjoyed each others company. Curiously enough I made another fascinating realization about a Braai or potjie and that it is NOT the act of cooking meat on a fire or making food in a cast iron pot but rather the whole ritual of preparing the fire, snacking, drinking (non-alcoholic for me), interacting (joking, discussing pressing issues, learning) , then preparing the main course and ultimately closing out the event with something sweet. A Braai or Potjie is an entire event centered around food and camaraderie, it is a way to bring togetherness, understanding and peace. For my international readership a Braai is a barbecue.

Maybe that's the solution to world peace, a Braai! Would love to hear a miss world contestant say that, "the key to world peace is a braai."

When I googled game meat recipes, many required the meat to be soaked in alcohol before the marinade is applied. This is done to remove the gamey flavor because not many people can enjoy that sort of flavor. One recipe that I got on the website, allrecipes.com, reported that the meat can be marinated in apple cider (non-alcoholic) with salt and pepper. Since this sort of apple cider is not available in South, I used apple juice. It worked and was nice but this recipe below is a little different and the meat came out really nice and tender.

Ingredients

1 rack of game ribs
5 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp pepper
Water to cover ribs

1 red pepper
1 onion
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 cardamom

Method
Treatment to remove gamey flavor
Soak ribs in water,salt,pepper solution for 2 hours

Prepare marinade
Liquidize all remaining ingredients into paste

Marinate ribs in paste and place in potjie pot (the awesome thing about a potjie is that it more bakes food within the pot than cooking it as if on a stove, and the flavors are remarkable)
Place potjie pot over hot coals (no flame)
Cook for 2-3 hours
Enjoy once meat is tender

You might notice that I had modified an older potjie pot to contain the coals of a fire and concentrate it onto the underside of another potjie (where I cooked the ribs). The modification entailed grinding openings onto the potjie pot to allow for air intake to fuel the flame and allow heat to escape through the top (as heat rises). This is just an idea to make the using of coals more efficient and works wonderfully when camping or at picnics.

I would invite family and friends before I made the marinade and let the camaraderie begin!

Enjoy!!

Soaked meat in water, salt and pepper solution for 2 hours

Liquidize pepper, onion, coconut oil, garlic, salt, turmeric, cardamon and chilli powder into paste

Add marinade to treated ribs and pace in Potjie pot

After the ribs cook in the potjie, cut and enjoy, preferably in a plate because I'm not sure about the effectiveness of washing powders in removing turmeric stains from clothes