In this special Real Meat South Africa feature on A Table in the Corner, recorded at the South African BBQ Festival in Stellenbosch in October 2026, I chat to chef and pitmaster Pete Goffe-Wood about choosing, understanding and cooking better meat.
Pete joined the festival as one of its pitmasters, cooking pork belly and beef picanha over the fire. Our conversation goes beyond the braai, though, into the choices consumers make when buying beef and the information they need to make better decisions. We discuss marbling, ageing, animal classification and the absence of a clear meat quality grading system in South Africa.
Pete explains why the familiar labels on supermarket shelves do not necessarily tell you what you need to know about the quality of a piece of meat. He also makes the case for understanding how different cuts should be cooked, buying from knowledgeable butchers and choosing quality over price or familiarity. He also talks about the importance of good handling and slaughter practices, and why the quality of the final product depends on much more than what happens at the braai.
This episode is part of a series supported by Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS) and its consumer initiative, Real Meat South Africa, exploring the people, produce and knowledge behind South Africa's red meat industry.
- www.rwm2012.comOn Instagram @a_table_inthecornerCover image sketched by Courtney Cara LawsonAll profile portraits by Russel Wasserfall unless otherwise creditedTitle music: 'In Time' by Olexy via Pixabay