Rump steak
The braai's honest steak. A thick rump, a hot fire, and the nerve to leave it alone. Sirloin does the same job — fat cap on, never under 3 cm, salt at the last moment.
The braai's honest steak. A thick rump, a hot fire, and the nerve to leave it alone. Sirloin does the same job — fat cap on, never under 3 cm, salt at the last moment.
Ingredients
- 4 rump steaks, cut 3–4 cm thick, fat cap left on (sirloin of the same thickness works the same way)
- A little oil
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- Monkey gland sauce, optional
Method
- Take the steaks out of the fridge 30–45 minutes before braaiing. Cold meat and hot coals don't negotiate.
- Rub lightly with oil, then salt and pepper just before they go on. Leave the fat cap on.
- Braai over hot coals, the 4-second hand test, 3–4 minutes a side. Turn once with tongs. Do not press. If the fat cap is thick, let that edge see the coals so the fat renders.
- Rest for 5 minutes under foil. Grey all the way through means the steak was thin or it stayed too long. Spoon over monkey gland sauce if you want it.
Engineer's view
Read left to right: ingredients merge into steps, steps merge into supper.
| Ingredient | Process → | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rump steaks 4, 3–4 cm, fat cap on | Out of the fridge 30–45 min | Oil, then salt & pepper just before the grid | Hot coals · 4-sec test · 3–4 min a side · fat cap to the coals · don't press · rest 5 min under foil |
| Oil | Ready beside the grid | ||
| Coarse salt & black pepper | |||
| Monkey gland sauce optional | Warm at the fire's edge, or leave it | ||
Which fire, and which day? Hot coals, the 4-second hand test. Hold your palm at grid height and count: 4 seconds is hot, 6 is hot-medium, 8 is medium, 10 or more is gentle. The full reading is the hand test, and the wood that makes those coals is in the wood guide. Buying notes: rump and sirloin. The sauce, if you want it: monkey gland. 24 September, Heritage Day, is National Braai Day.
Questions the fire actually gets
What heat for rump steak?
Hot coals, the 4-second hand test. A 3–4 cm steak wants 3–4 minutes a side, then five minutes under foil. Four seconds is hot, six is hot-medium, eight is medium, ten or more is gentle.
How thick should a braai steak be?
At least 3 cm. A steak under 3 cm cooks to grey before it sears. The time guide is written for 3–4 cm rump or sirloin, fat cap left on. Ribeye and T-bone are the other grid cuts.
When do you salt a steak, and should you press it?
Salt and pepper just before it goes on, after 30–45 minutes out of the fridge. Do not press it. Pressing squeezes out the good part. Turn once with tongs. After the rest, grey all the way through means the steak was thin or it stayed too long.
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