AI-generated image
Boerewors
Boerewors: South Africa's coriander-spiced coiled braai sausage
This sausage contains pork. Boerewors, 'farmer's sausage', is the centre of every South African braai, from a Pretoria back garden to a Durban beach on Heritage Day. A thick coil of coarsely minced beef and pork, perfumed with toasted coriander, nutmeg and cloves and sharpened with vinegar, is grilled over coals and eaten with pap and chakalaka or in a roll as a boerie. Making it takes a sausage stuffer and natural casings, but the spicing is what matters. The classic mistake is pricking the sausage, which lets the juices run out and dries it; never pierce boerewors. Chef's tip: toast the whole coriander seeds until they crackle and grind them coarsely; the bits of seed are the signature of good boerewors.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Toast 2 tbsp coriander seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and starting to crackle. Cool, then grind coarsely.
2 minStep 2: Put 2 ⅞ lb beef chuck, 1 ⅛ lb pork shoulder and 7 oz pork back fat on a tray in the freezer for 30 minutes, with the mincer parts too. Cold meat and fat mince cleanly instead of smearing.
30 minStep 3: Mince everything through the coarse plate (about 8 mm) into a cold bowl.
Step 4: Add the ground coriander, 4 tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground allspice and ¼ cup malt or brown vinegar. Mix with your hands for 2 minutes, just until the spices are spread evenly; don't overwork it.
Step 5: Fry a small spoonful in a pan until cooked through and taste it. Adjust the salt or spices, then chill the mixture for 30 minutes.
5 minStep 6: Slide 3 m natural hog casings (32–35 mm) onto the stuffer nozzle, leaving 10 cm hanging, and tie a knot. Fill slowly, guiding the casing so it fills firmly but not tight enough to burst. Don't twist into links: boerewors stays in one long length.
Step 7: Coil the sausage into a flat spiral and push 2 crossed skewers through it to hold the shape. Cover and refrigerate overnight so the flavours settle and the casing dries. Use within 2 days or freeze.
Step 8: Grill over medium coals, or in a pan over a medium heat, for 8–10 minutes a side, turning once with tongs and never pricking it, until browned and firm.
18 minStep 9: Check the centre with a thermometer: it must reach 160°F with no pink. Rest for 3 minutes, then cut into lengths and serve with pap and chakalaka.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boerewors take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
- What can I use instead of ground cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Anhui bamboo shoots with ham
When the spring bamboo shoots push up through the hillsides of Huizhou, farmhouse kitchens braise them with chunks of the region's cured ham. The salty, deep-flavoured ham seasons the broth, and the shoots soak it up while keeping their crunch and gentle sweetness. Serve it as a side dish with rice and other plates, or as a light lunch by itself. Fresh bamboo shoots must be peeled and boiled before use, because raw shoots contain natural toxins; canned shoots are already cooked and only need rinsing. Chef's tip: taste the broth before adding any salt, as the ham often brings all the salt the dish needs.
Peking duck (home style)
Beijing's famous roast duck is a banquet showpiece, carved at the table in restaurants near Qianmen and eaten in thin wheat pancakes with sticks of cucumber, spring onion and a smear of sweet bean sauce. Restaurants use hanging ovens and inflate the skin with air; at home a scald with boiling water, a sweet vinegar glaze and a night uncovered in the fridge get you most of the way there. The prize is the lacquered, glass-crisp skin, with the meat underneath still juicy. Serve it as the centrepiece of a family feast, followed by a simple soup made from the carcass. Chef's tip: dry the duck uncovered on a rack in the fridge for at least 12 hours; a dry skin is the whole secret.
Beef and broccoli stir-fry
A quick coat of cornflour and soy keeps thin slices of beef silky, and a hot wok gives the broccoli char without overcooking it. Faster than ordering in.