Review: Sizzling hot steak, the best way to test drive a braai grid

I’ve put paid to many braai grids over the years. No matter how pristine and well formed they are on their arrival at my braai side, in time they all end up twisted, gnarly wrecks. I have a pile of them under a table near the braai. A sort of installation, perhaps. (I could charge people to view it?)

So I paid attention when I was asked to test drive, so to speak, a new kind of grid which seems to be made of sterner stuff. It’s called the SIZZLEGRID (their capitals) and I was sent one for review, and after some weeks of it sitting idle while the newly concreted base of my braai was dry enough to use, I was finally able to put the new grid to use this week.

The website promises: “It is designed to produce more flavour from the fire and less flame” and adds that “you can place your SIZZLEGRID™ on an open wood fire with dancing flames if you want to flame grill your steak. Don’t hesitate to try it sometime. Your grid can handle the heat from the hot flames.”

The individual slats are V-shaped, or diamond if you like, with a narrow gap between, “which deflects the flames to minimise flare-ups while still getting the heat and distinctive smokey flavour from your fire”. The website explains that its inspiration is the Argentinian Parrillas V-shaped grill. 

As sturdy as a studly gym bunny

And there’s a lot to like. It is as sturdy as a studly gym bunny, rock solid and heavier than you might expect.

Which brings us to a key point: its weight dictates its size. Developer Jurgen Lubbe asked me for “all the constructive criticism please” and in reply I asked him whether this was the only size, or were there others? This was the only size “at this point”, he said. “We are manufacturing a stand and a bag for it. More to come.”

I found it a bit limited in size, but first let me share what I have done with it so far. There’s no better way to test a braai grid than to see how it handles a steak over extremely hot coals. Put it to the flame and see what happens. First, two thick sirloin steaks, and they were sizzling good. I grilled them fat side down first, then on the opposite edge, then quickly seared each extreme end, and finally gave them a few minutes on each side. Perfectly tender steaks with a nice bit of scored char to finish. 

I cleaned it according to the website instructions: put it to the flame to burn off those bits and pieces from the previous braai, then ran a halved lemon all over. Job done, happy. Next evening, I cooked on it: two chicken thighs and two drumsticks, two pork chops, and eight pork sausages. And that’s not bad at all, more than I’d expected to fit on the grid.

But I do invite the gang around often throughout the hot months, so for a crowd the SIZZLEGRID is only going to do a part of the job (I could, of course, buy a second one. So, undeniably, it has my endorsement for what it offers; I just need more.)

Developed with the traveller in mind

Jurgen explained that it is the size it is because of its weight (“just over five kilos”) and if it were doubled in size, with meat on it, it may be too heavy to turn or to lower to a different rung of the braai. I can see that if it were much heavier it may be too heavy to manage.

“It fits perfectly into a 57cm kettle braai, a Weber braai or whatever, but we are open to suggestions,” he told me in WhatsApp exchanges. 

“We also developed it with the traveller in mind; the guy with the 4x4, the motor home. It’s something that is easy to travel with, hence the reason we have developed the stand to go with it as well as the bag, which will help people protect the unit and also protect the vehicle they’re travelling in.”

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The website points out that it can be used on wood fires, coals or gas, which makes it versatile enough for any outdoor use. It is made of mild steel, and the claim is that it will heat up quickly and retain that heat. This was certainly true.

Now to price: the grid alone is on Takealot for R1,600, but a new bundle that will include the legs and the bag will cost R1,899. There are two legs that clip in on either side.

My stack of old twisted, gnarly braai grids might make a cool wall feature next to the braai, actually. Now that I’ve discovered what a better braai grid can do, they’re just not good enough any longer. Must find a way to incorporate his thing into a remade braai arrangement. So, yes, that’s an endorsement.

Meanwhile, try these sirloin steaks on whatever braai grid you use….

Tony’s rosemary-smoked sirloin steaks

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 x 300g thick-cut sirloin steaks with a generous fat cap

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard per steak

A pile of rosemary sprigs

Smoked Maldon sea salt

Black pepper

Method

Smear the steaks with mustard. Season generously with Maldon smoked salt and black pepper.

When you have super hot coals, put the SIZZLEGRID (or other grid) fairly close to the coals and shove some rosemary branches right on to the coals, below the grid, for the rosemary smoke to infuse the steaks while they grill.

Cook them fatty edge down for 5 minutes, a minute or two on the opposite narrow edge and briefly on the narrow edges, just to sear.

Three or four minutes on each side should finish them, or more or less if you want your meat rare, medium or (heaven forfend) well done. 

A splash of brandy along the way will raise some flames for that lovely bit of char, if that’s what you want. DM

Find more info at https://sizzlegrid.co.za

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido. Order his book, foodSTUFF, here

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.