Spice rubs and marinating before cooking or grilling can mean the difference between a good piece of meat and in this instance, the best smoky beef fillet ever! As a nation of braai-obsessed South Africans, we know how to light the fires and take outdoor cooking to the next level. Inexpensive and versatile, spice rubs are my go-to ingredient when it comes to imparting flavour into meat bound for the coals. In the cooler months when comfort is king, my trusty cast iron pots are home to hearty bone-in beef stews. Left to splutter away for hours, tougher cuts of beef are rendered spoon-tender and softly yielding. That said, when the weather heats up and we head outside for leisurely summer braais, it’s a succulent beef fillet that I’m after. Prized for its buttery soft texture, fillet is considered the Rolls-Royce of steers. Although it requires little effort in the way of cooking, accurate timing and sturdy flavoring is key to its success. Delivering the perfect steak comes with a unique set of challenges. With meagre traces of fat marbling, keeping fillet tender and juicy can be tricky. Fat content of meat imparts distinctive flavour while simultaneously serving as a built-in baster. Having less fat to slow the internal temperature, it's easily overcooked, at times resembling more of a well-worn leather loafer than your favourite steakhouse classic. Timing and convincing flavour partners are thus vital to achieving ultimate fillet steak success. Don’t let this deter you. Help is at hand in the form of this homemade master spice blend. I’m going to call it Smoky Joe’s Essential Braai Spice Rub because it sounds like the kind of concoction I’d like to have in my kitchen arsenal. It’s great with red meats, chicken, fish and especially good with flash-fried buttery prawns. The spice rub gets its sassy attitude from a mix of smoky paprika, cumin and Natura Sugars Light Muscovado sugar. Aggressively seasoning the meat with the dry rub delivers big flavours with a deeply caramelized crust. So good! Debating the accepted degree of ‘doneness’ is best avoided. I’m going to leave that entirely up to you. Suffice to say - the term, well done, in carnivore circles, means overdone. Rare or medium-rare is the goal for succulency. Three golden rules to keep in mind for barbecue perfection - Food, Smoke and Flame. If however you’re from up North and waiting for summer to show its heated face once more, this fillet is pan-obliging too. Whether you prefer yours with just a brief whiff of smoked air, medium-rare or properly dead, make sure you #trysomethingnew. This fillet is cooked slightly longer and served with a chunky lemony salsa verde. Each to his own preference.