Gear COOKING WITH A VESTO
  In this case we demonstrate how to cook using wood charcoal as the fuel.

Put on the braai plate stand
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Put on the braai plate
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Put in some wood charcoal (not briquettes in this demonstration) keeping the level below the holes at the centerline. If you over-fill the combustion chamber not enough air will come through to burn properly.
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Add a small piece of fire-starter. It will take a lot less than when lighting charcoal in an open cooker. Don't be surprised if you get a bigger flame from it that you expected. Use a small piece!
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Instead of using a petroleum fire lighter you can use twigs, leaves and small bits of wood. Light the charcoal by building a small fire on top. This is called 'top-lighting'. Bottom-lighting charcoal tends to make a lot of smoke, gets going slowly and it will burn too quickly because it all lights at once.
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Here some twigs are used to light the piece of fire lighter. The first flames are from the twigs.
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Now the fire lighter is burning with its characteristic yellow colour. This burns at a high heat and starts the charcoal burning far faster than an open cooker.
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When it is burning well you can put on the braai plate.
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We cooked the sausage first.
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Don't forget to poke holes in the sausage with a fork. The fat is drained into the fire and burned. The braai plate looks like a frying pan but works like a grill.
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Next, put on the steaks.
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A peek into the fire. If you have to refuel, put on only one of two handfuls of charcoal.
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Steaks done to perfection.
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We call these 'Botjies" or braai bread or garlic butter buns. They cook beautifully if you place a cover over them briefly making a small oven so they brown on top. An upside down wok is ideal for this.
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