About this Dish
The combination of braai meat and pap — a stiff porridge of ground maize — that is the everyday food of South African township culture. Pap is made in three consistencies: crumbly, soft or stiff. Served alongside braai meat with chakalaka (a spiced vegetable relish) and sous (tomato and onion sauce). Simple, sustaining and deeply South African.
IngredientsServes 4
🌽White maize meal (mieliemeel), 3 cups
💧Water, 6 cups
🧂Salt, 2 teaspoons
🥩Beef short ribs or lamb chops, 1.5kg
🧅Onions, 2 large, roughly chopped
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 4 large, chopped
🫑Green pepper, 1, diced
🌶️Fresh chilli, 1, finely chopped
🫙Tomato paste, 2 tablespoons
🧄Garlic cloves, 3, minced
Method
1
Season your meat generously with salt and pepper, then braai (grill) over hot coals or cook in a heavy pan on high heat until nicely charred and cooked through — beef ribs will take about 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally to get good colour on all sides.2
While the meat rests, make your sous: fry the onions in a little oil in a pot over medium heat until soft and golden, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic, chilli and green pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.3
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, season well with salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes rich and jammy — taste and adjust seasoning.4
For the pap, bring the salted water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then slowly pour in the maize meal in a steady stream while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps from forming.5
Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and let the pap steam and cook for 20-25 minutes — lift the lid and stir thoroughly every 8 minutes, scraping from the bottom, until the pap pulls away from the sides of the pot and holds its shape.6
Once the pap is thick and cooked through, taste for salt and give it one final stir — it should be stiff enough to scoop but still slightly soft inside.7
Serve the pap in a mound on a large plate alongside the charred meat, spooning the tomato and onion sous generously over everything — serve immediately with chakalaka on the side if you have it.User Reviews
No reviews yet — be the first!
Sign in to leave a review
Members can create lists, save favourites and get recommendations.
Find the Best Pap en Vleis Near Me
AI-powered — Google, TripAdvisor and food blogs
🔥 Viral Recipes
How the world's most famous chefs — and creators — make this dish
Wolkberg Artisans
171.6K views
🌍 Food Vlogs
Food vloggers eating and cooking it at the source
🌍
No videos yet
What To Eat
The World's Food Guide
© 2025 What To Eat · hello@whattoeat.world