In thanks for taking part in a Six Gun Grill cooking masterclass with Greg Bax of the Rare Grill in Cape Town, I had been given a whole range of their spices. As part of a marketing campaign for their new range of home cuts, the Hussar Grill had very kindly included a range of their rubs and spices in a delivery. Louis Bam of Dam Fine Products had been kind enough to put together a range of Rate my Braai branded spices, and Deli Spices are on board with Rate my Braai as a prize sponsor …

In short, the Lanning braai area looks a bit like a deli counter at a weekend market!

It was time to do some sort of spice test …

Given that it formed a key part of the family meal that evening, I need to set the scene. I am a big fan of the meat speaking for itself. We are fortunate to get amazing meat in SA, and it seems a shame to over spice what was naturally pretty damn spectacular. My wife and child are worse – they do not even like salt and pepper on their eggs!

So it was never going to be a spice fest, instead a light seasoning …

In this instance the starting piece of meat was a 1.2kg piece of dry aged rump from Checkers (R149 per kg). Beautifully marbled with a lovely deep red colour, it just screamed “Braai me” …

I cut that into 4 equal pieces (yes, I know, controversial in itself, but all for the greater cause), and paired each piece with a spice. Those four spices being:

• Six Gun Grill seasoning
• Veld to Vurk braai mix
• Garlic salt from Dam Fine (branded Rate my Braai)
• A specifically made braai spice from Dam Fine (branded Rate my Braai)

As a regular user of Veld to Vurk, a lovely, but relatively basic salt and pepper type spice that has found lots of favour with the wife and kid, this was my “placebo”.

All 4 pieces of meat – brought to room temperature before cooking (VITAL) – were seasoned an hour before hitting the grid, which was no more than a centimeter above a sensational bed of coals created from Swarthaak wood.

All 4 pieces of meat were braai’ed for the exactly the same amount of time, turned at exactly the same time, with each steak getting just one more dusting of the spice on each side.

I used a pretty basic meat thermometer (why guess?) to deliver 4 pieces of medium/rare rump steak, which I then cut into slices on a plankie board.

The three of us then dug in, it being a blind testing for Jax and Joe …

All 4 steaks were delicious, and while definitely taking on a slightly different flavour, it was very much like comparing a Merlot’s from different 2 wine farms who use grapes from the same vineyard.

There certainly was no vomit inducer, and that was an eye opener for both Jax and Joe, who definitely woke up the next morning with a different opinion on meat spicing. With due respect to Six Gun, Jax was definitely expecting that steak to taste like someone had sprinkled Aromat on her tongue. Yet, like the others, the spice danced delightfully in the background, allowing the meat to shine.

Yes, I am avoiding the reason you are probably reading this drivel …

So if pushed for a winner, all three of us reckoned the specifically made braai spice from Dam Fine Products probably edged the other three. This on a night that we really did eat like kings …

Now if I can just get Louis to remember what he put in that bloody container!

What’s your favourite braai spice and why? Do you use rubs? How? Let’s get some spicy banter going in the comments below … And if you are keen to submit a braai barometer article for the site, please send to hello@ratemybraai.co.za. Thanks!

Below a few more pics from the evening …