South African Boerewors (Grilled Farmer's Sausage)

About This Recipe

South African Boerewors is a real, traditional South African dish, known as Grilled Farmer's Sausage. A coiled, spiced sausage of beef and pork seasoned with coriander and nutmeg, grilled over open flame, a braai (barbecue) essential.\n\nBoerewors, meaning 'farmer's sausage', has roots in the culinary traditions of Cape Dutch settlers, and South African law legally requires it to contain at least 90 percent meat, distinguishing it from many commercial sausages.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in South African home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 600 gground beef
• 400 gground pork, with fat
• 2 tbsptoasted and ground coriander seeds
• 1 tspground nutmeg
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 2 tbspvinegar
• 2natural sausage casings, soaked and rinsed

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the meat

   Combine ground beef, ground pork, ground coriander, nutmeg, pepper, salt and vinegar, mixing thoroughly until well combined.

2. 2

   Rest

   Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so the flavors meld.

3. 3

   Stuff the casings

   Using a sausage stuffer or a funnel, fill the soaked casings with the meat mixture, twisting gently at intervals if desired, or leaving it as one long coil.

4. 4

   Rest again

   Let the stuffed sausage rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, before cooking.

5. 5

   Grill

   Coil the sausage and grill over medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply browned and cooked through.

6. 6

   Serve

   Slice and serve hot, traditionally with pap (maize porridge) and a tomato and onion relish.

Variations

• •

  Some regions add a bit of ground allspice for extra warmth.

• •

  A version with more pork gives a slightly milder, less beefy flavor.

• •

  Serve with grilled boerewors rolls (a hot dog-style bun) as a casual, handheld version.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions