Sausage, Boerewors (South African)
Boerewors are a South African "farmer's sausage" made from beef, pork, and lamb. The exact composition of these sausages are highly regulated; it must contain beef, at least 90% meat, and more than 30% fat. The sausage is often seasoned with a myriad of regional spices, including coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, and malt vinegar. The boerewors are often cooked in a large spiral on a braai (South African barbecue) and served alongside other South African staples like sosaties (smoky meat kebabs), braaibroodjies (a take on a grilled cheese sandwich), and a polenta-like dish called pap. You may also see the sausage served like an American hot dog on a bun with ketchup and mustard.
High Protein · Meat · Sausage
Boerewors are a South African “farmer’s sausage” made from beef, pork, and lamb. The exact composition of these sausages are highly regulated; it must contain beef, at least 90% meat, and more than 30% fat. The sausage is often seasoned with a myriad of regional spices, including coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, and malt vinegar.
The boerewors are often cooked in a large spiral on a braai (South African barbecue) and served alongside other South African staples like sosaties (smoky meat kebabs), braaibroodjies (a take on a grilled cheese sandwich), and a polenta-like dish called pap. You may also see the sausage served like an American hot dog on a bun with ketchup and mustard.
Ingredients
- 4.5 lbs beef, top round roast or brisket
- 2.5 lbs. fatty pork, shoulder, neck or belly
- 50 ml coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg fresh grated, scant 1/2 teaspoon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1.5ml
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice 5 ml
- 5 teaspoons salt = 25 ml
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 125 ml Malt (dark) vinegar
- 50 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pack wide sausage casing
Directions
- Trim the beef and pork, discarding any sinew, and trim into longish pieces about 3 inches wide. This just makes it easier for the meat grinder (South Africans call it a mincer) to process.
- Place all your trimmed meats in a large container.
- Put the meat mix through the grinder on a large blade.
- Dry roast the coriander seeds in a pan on medium heat, stirring to make sure they don’t burn, then remove from the heat when they are a golden brown color.
- Crush the seeds coarsely in a food processor or use a mortar and pestle.
- Add the dry spices, the vinegar and the Worcestershire sauce to the meat, or if using a readymade boerewors spice mix then follow the instructions on the pack, then add to the meat.
- Mix and leave in the fridge for two hours for the flavors to absorb.
- Put through the grinder on a medium size blade which enables the spices to be incorporated through the meat.
- Use your sausage stuffer to fill the casings with the boerewors mix.
- Roll your coils of boerewors neatly, ready to braai, and the extra can be bagged and frozen until you need them.