Flair with food was the order of the day on Saturday as traditional braai masters showed off their shisa nyama skills.
Nando's second Shisa Nyama championship, held in Port Elizabeth, had 11 braai guys from around South Africa competing for prizes worth R250000.
Endaweni Shisa Nyama in Vosloorus, Gauteng, was declared the best in the land and walked away with R155,000 in cash.
The winning dish was a blend of vegetables and herbs complementing lamb chops.
My own tastebuds couldn't get enough of the shisa nyama from Pulema's, in Daveyton, Gauteng.
Mixing Nando's sauce with crushed garlic is the secret to its tender, tasty meat.
Others competing included Vaal Monateng Café in Sebokeng, PLK Shisa Nyama in Polokwane and Maphindi's Butchery in Cape Town.
The judges considered creativity, inspiration and unique taste, and members of the public sampled each shisa nyama.
The meat varied from chicken and lamb to beef, pork and prawns.
The finalists were required to use Nando's sauces to flavour the meat.
Thabang Butelezi, Nando's marketing manager, groceries for South Africa, said the purpose of the competition is to push the boundaries of traditional shisa nyamas and encourage creative use of Nando's sauces.
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