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Loading...A Tswana-style braai at its finest: thick rump steaks dry-rubbed with toasted coriander and peri-peri, seared over hardwood embers until smoky outside and blushing inside, then plated with a chunky sorghum "chimichurri" that swaps parsley for nutty, pearl-milled ting grains and wild onion. It's the sort of platter served on enamel plates at a Saturday braai in Gaborone or Maun.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Servings4
Yield4 steaks with about 1/2 cup chimichurri
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 540 kcalCalories
- 28 gFat
- 8 gSaturated Fat
- 24 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 4 gSugar
- 44 gProtein
- 640 mgSodium
- 780 mgPotassium
- 75 mgCalcium
- 5 mgIron
- 14 mgVitamin C
- 120 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the steak and rub
- 4 beef rump steaks, about 220 g (7 oz) each and 2 cm thick, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons toasted whole coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon peri-peri or cayenne
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed into a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
For the sorghum chimichurri
- 1/2 cup hulled sorghum or pearl millet (ting), rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 small red onion, very finely diced
- 3 wild onion or spring onion stalks, sliced thin
- 1 small hot red chili (peri-peri), minced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt, plus more to taste
For grilling
- Hardwood charcoal or camelthorn wood embers
- 1 lemon, halved
Directions
- Start the sorghum: combine the sorghum and water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 25-30 minutes until tender but still chewy. Drain off any remaining liquid, spread on a tray to cool, then fluff with a fork.
- Make the rub while the sorghum cooks: stir the crushed coriander, sea salt, pepper, peri-peri, paprika, and garlic paste together with the sunflower oil and Worcestershire until it forms a thick, gritty paste. Smear it over both sides of the rump steaks, pressing it in so it adheres. Let the steaks sit at room temperature for 20 minutes (or refrigerate up to 6 hours).
- Build the chimichurri: in a bowl, combine the cooled sorghum, red onion, wild onion, chili, vinegar, olive oil, cilantro, honey, and salt. Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning; the mix should be punchy and herby. Set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes to let the flavors marry.
- Light your braai: pile charcoal or split camelthorn wood into a deep bed and ignite 30-40 minutes ahead. You're aiming for glowing embers with a thin layer of white ash and a strong radiant heat; the grill grate should sit 10-12 cm above the coals.
- Wipe the grate with an oiled cloth, then lay the steaks down at an angle to the bars. Grill 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare (internal temperature 52-55°C / 125-130°F), rotating a quarter turn halfway through to lay down a clean cross-hatch. Press the cut lemon halves onto the grill in the last minute until charred.
- Transfer the steaks to a board, tuck the charred lemon on top, and let them rest 5 minutes so the juices redistribute. Slice across the grain into thick fingers or serve whole on enamel plates with a generous spoonful of sorghum chimichurri spooned alongside (not on top, so the crust stays crackling).
- Serve immediately with extra chimichurri, a bowl of morogo or phane if you have it, and a cold Maunu or Castle Milk Stout on the side.
Cook’s Notes
- True Tswana braai uses hardwood, not gas – camelthorn, mopane, or sekelbos give a sweeter smoke; if unavailable, lump charcoal plus a few hardwood chunks is a fine stand-in.
- Soak the sorghum a few hours (or overnight) to shorten cooking and give a more uniform, creamy chew that holds up next to the charred beef.
- Always rest the steaks – rump keeps cooking hard on a hot fire, and a 5-minute rest keeps the juices in the meat instead of on the board.
- Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant before crushing – this unlocks the citrusy, earthy note that defines a Tswana rub.
- If you can't find hulled sorghum, swap in cooked pearl millet (ting) or even Israeli/pearl couscous for a similar nutty bite in the chimichurri.
