Excellent Cookware
Do you enjoy the summer fun of afternoon barbeques and picnics? Becoming a popular world-wide activity, people in the exotic country of Africa also get together for food, friends and fun. But you might be a little taken back by the look of the grill. Potjiekos pots are the “BBQ-grills” of many countries. Officially pronounced as “poy-kee-kawse”, it often carries the nickname “potpie” (pronounced poi-kei), and translates as “pot food”. Essentially it is a cross between a pot and a self-standing stove, and made of heavy cast iron. It has stood as the centrepiece for food and social gathering in many continents.
Not native to the country, potjiekos was introduced to Africa in the middle ages by Dutch and English pioneers who explored this continent It’s cast iron body is seasoned and cared for as regular cast iron cookware, giving it a non-stick capability and a unique old-world flavour. The lids of the these huge pots seal evenly to contain necessary moisture and heat essential for cooking.
The potjiekos is a very versatile cookware, handling all heat sources from wood and charcoal, to electric and gas. One can choose the style of potjiekos to match the heating it will endure, either having legs for standing, a flat bottom for hanging, or a round bottom for maximum heat absorption. It’s energy-efficient cast iron construction holds heat consistently and evenly, with minimum heating. And its open belly style can hold a decent amount of food for the feast.
Seasoning Your Pot Is Easy, And Will Keep It Cooking For A Lifetime Of Sumptous Meals.
Like all cast iron, the process of seasoning will benefit your cooking as well as maintain your potjiekos. You can season your pot by scouring off any rust, washing in hot water, and allowing to dry completely, so the microscopic pores in the metal will have no remaining moisture. Then apply lard or shortening to the entire piece, wiping away any excess. To finish, your potjiekos must be heated for several hours.
Since most of these monster pots are too large to heat in a modern oven, you must cook it over an outdoor heat source of your choice. To help season the inside correctly, when you cook your potjiekos for these initial first few hours, fill the inside cooking area with leftover or unwanted scraps, like vegetable peels and trimmed fat from meat. This acts as a temporary “meal” which will help rid the cooking area of any remaining iron leaching into your food while the metal is seasoning. Ideally you will want to repeat this seasoning process a few times to get the best results, and to get a solid start to your potjie’s seasoning coat, or “patina” as it’s called.
Cookware in your potjiekos involves two concepts; the layering of food inside, and control of the cooking temperature. Most potjiekos meals will include a meat, various vegetables and rice or similar grain. To start, add oil to a heated potjiekos, and stir your meat until almost cooked. Add your vegetables in from hardest, such as carrots, to softest, such as mushrooms. Arrange your vegetables around the bottom and sides, such that you leave a “hollow well” in the middle for the rice. Add a marinade into the pot until it is about a thumbs width below the top layer of vegetables. Add your rice, cover with the lid, and simmer until done. Do not stir until cooking is complete.
The cooking temperature is governed simply by the source. On a modern stove, set temperature or gas flow as needed, and with fire, adjust the amount of wood or charcoal being burned. A helpful tip is to make two fires, one that is used for cooking, and the other to produce the coals needed to maintain a constant heat in the cooking fire. When cleaning cast iron cookware, simply wash in hot water, preferably without soap, as this tends to break down the patina. But if you must use soap, use a mild version sparingly. To store, just coat your potjiekos with a thin layer of oil, leaving no excess, while the iron is still warm from washing.
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