Yummy stuff for Braai day

Braai Day, more formally known as Heritage Day, is all about celebrating our country with comforting South African cuisine. From braaied mielies, stuffed braaied butternut, pap and wors served with Shiba sauce to apricot snoek, potato on the coals and caramelised pineapple, you really can’t get more South African.

Here area few sticky and spicy recipes to try … beginning with Maker’s Mark Bourbon Chicken Wings – with not one, but three different sauces, a smokey Maker’s Mark BBQ sauce to accompany any dish and a Kentucky favourite, Maker’s Mark Bourbon Baked Beans, the perfect side dish for the day.

Maker’s Mark Bourbon Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 30 high-quality chicken wings
• 2 shots Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. Tabasco® hot sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

BOURBON SWEET CHILI SAUCE

• 2 shots Makers Mark® Bourbon
• 1 cup prepared sweet chili sauce
• 1 tbsp. Sriracha chili sauce

KY WHITE SAUCE

• 2 shots Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a large container and mix well. Let sit covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours for best results.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick spray to make cleanup even easier.
3. Place chicken wings on tray barely touching and not stacked. If they are piled on each other, it will cause the wings to steam, not caramelize.
4. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until cooked through.
5. As soon as you remove wings from the oven, toss with one of the wing sauces below or your homemade Maker’s Mark BBQ sauce. To create a glaze, put sauced wings back in the oven to finish for 3–5 minutes and serve.

BOURBON SWEET CHILI SAUCE

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
2. Toss in a large bowl with wings immediately after taking wings from the oven for best results.

KY WHITE SAUCE

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Toss with wings immediately after removing from the oven.

Maker’s Mark BBQ Sauce

 Ingredients

• Your favourite prepared BBQ sauce
• Maker’s Mark Bourbon

Suggested additions

• Yellow mustard
• Apple cider vinegar
• Red chili flakes
• Caramelized onions
• Roasted garlic
• Brown sugar
• Crispy cooked bacon

Method

1. Add 1 cup of your favourite readymade BBQ sauce to a bowl. Since you will be adding to the sauce, use about half as much as you think you will need.
2. Add 2 shots of Maker’s Mark Bourbon and whisk it well.
3. Add ingredients of your choosing until you have something you like.
4. Store covered in the fridge for up to one week.
5. CHEF NEWMAN’S GO-TO INGREDIENTS ARE:
6. 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
7. 2 big pinches red chili flake
8. 1/3 cup yellow mustard

Maker’s Mark Bourbon Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1kg  dried pinto or white beans
• 250g of bacon, cut into medium dice
• 1 white onion diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3/4 cup Homemade Maker’s Mark® BBQ sauce
• 4 shots Makers Mark® bourbon
• 1 can of ginger ale
• 4 cups stock

Toppings

• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 100g  country ham, chopped

Method

1. Soak dried beans for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. While preheating oven to 180 degrees, brown bacon on the stove over medium heat in an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven.
3. When almost crispy, add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
4. Drain your beans and add to the bacon mixture.
5. Add Maker’s Mark BBQ sauce, Maker’s Mark Bourbon and ginger ale. Mix well, and then add the pork or chicken stock.
6. Cover pot, place in oven and bake for 1 hour.
7. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes or until beans are tender and a crust has begun to form on top of the dish

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING

1. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and add country ham and panko.
2. Stir constantly until lightly brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Remove beans from oven and top with the crumble before serving.

For vegan and vegetarians, omit the bacon and ham, this makes a delicious main meal with delicious braaied garlic bread to mop up all the tasty, rich flavours.