Spruce up your Heritage Day braai with these 4 tasty sauces

September, the month where the sun creeps out earlier and lingers for longer at the tip of Africa. In South Africa, there’s no better way to celebrate the shift from winter hibernation to summer festivities than gathering around a braai.

Heritage Day, dubbed as National Braai Day, celebrates our melting pot of cultures and our love to gather and cook around a fire adding our unique traditional flare. Hot coals and a grid provide a blank canvas for endless creativity from boerewors and braaibroodjies, meilies and mushroom skewers, to peri-peri chicken and steak.

Here are a four simple sauces the can be made in advance to spruce up any Heritage Day spread:

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Garlic-lemon and herb butter

• 250g salted butter, softened
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely grated
• 1 lemon, zest only
• A small handful of chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp of chopped chives
• A small handful of chopped coriander

Leave half a block of salted butter out at room temperature for a few hours so that it’s soft and malleable. Gather the remaining ingredients: 3 cloves of garlic (finely grated), zest of 1 lemon (finely grated), small handful of chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons of chopped chives and a small handful of chopped coriander. Check for dietaries on the coriander, it seems it’s a controversial herb, but I love it. You could always swap out the coriander for spring onion.

Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix everything together well. Shape the butter into a log using plastic wrap or a zip lock bag. It can be stored in the fridge for a week and used in garlic bread, served over braai’d sweetcorn, fish or foil-wrapped baked potatoes. It’s super versatile and can even be spiced up with a little curry powder or smoked paprika.

Chimichurri

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp of black pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, finely grated
• 1 cup mixed fresh herbs
• ½ red chilli, chopped

This fresh, green, herby sauce is the Argentinian take on what’s often known as salsa verde in the Mediterranean. Chimichurri has a smokiness that pairs well with fire-cooked food.

In a medium bowl measure out the olive oil, red wine vinegar, a generous pinch of salt, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper and finely grated garlic.

Place this in a food processor with the mixed fresh herbs – I like to use a combination of parsley, basil and a little mint – then pulse everything together a few times to combine while still keeping the sauce chunky. Add the red chilli at the end for some spice. Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving with chicken, steak or to dress up some mushroom skewers.

Peri-peri

• 2 red onions, peeled
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 cup red chillies, stems removed
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 100ml lemon juice
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

For those who love the heat, this homemade African peri-peri is for you!

In a food processor, lightly pulse together the red onions, garlic, red bell peppers, tomatoes, red chillies, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, oregano, and smoked paprika. Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes and store in a jar for up to two weeks.

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Monkey gland sauce

• 1 onion, finely chopped onion
• A splash of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• ½ thumb of ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp of tomato paste
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup chutney
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ cup water
• Tabasco or freshly chopped chilli, optional

This traditional South African sauce seems to be a crowd-pleaser at any gathering. It’s really just a concoction of a bunch of pantry staples mixed together to offer up a marinade for meat or as a sauce to jazz up a burger. Maybe its charm lies in its simplicity and the childhood memories of licking your fingers after a meal at the Spur. This homemade version requires a little more labour with chopping fresh ingredients, but it’s definitely worth it.

Sauté the finely chopped onion in a little olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a few extra minutes, stirring everything together. Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, chutney, Worcestershire sauce, red wine vinegar, brown sugar and water. Stir everything together and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring at intervals. You can add a little Tabasco or freshly chopped chilli for the adults.

With the use of different herbs and spices, play around and create your own family-favourite recipe that can be passed down to future generations to enjoy on Heritage Day.