wors

Boerewors #1

by

Boerewors translated means “Farmers Sausage”, It originated in the Karoo (South Africa) and is often cooked in a spiral on the braai (Barbecue).

Boerewors also known as “South African Sausage” or “Wors” is what you will find at every braai in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. 

It has now expanded and is cooked by the expatriate community around the world, including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan.

What is Boerewors

It is a mixture of beef and pork.  It does not contain more than 30% fat which is needed to add flavour and also keep the sausage moist while cooking. 

Boerewors Sausage

The Environmental Health Research Network  published guidelines to what could be included to make South African Boerewors and legally use the name boerewors. 

The published guidelines give clear indications of the following: 

  • Meat Content should be not less than 90%
  • Not more than 30% fat content.
  • No offal except for the sausage casing should be used.  

The meat that can be used is to make boerewors include Bovine (cow), Ovine (sheep), Porcine (Pig) and Caprine (Goat). 

No other meat can be used. If any other ingredient is used that the sausage is labelled as wors only. 

boerewors sausage

How to Cook Boerewors

It is traditionally cooked on a braai, using Camel Thorn wood, this enhances the flavour and burns longer than charcoal giving a more stable fire to cook the meat on. 

It is often served with Pap (Porridge from South Africa), Polenta (Maize Meal) and Potatoe Salad. It is also eaten as a Boerewors Roll (Hot Dog) on a straight bun with tomato sauce and relish.

You can also cook boerewors inside in a grill or in a pan. The way I like to cook my boerewors inside is to grill it for 15 minutes until cooked. In summer I only cook it on the braai outside.

Traditional Boerewors Recipe

This boerewors sausage recipe (Affiliate Code) tastes delicious and freezes very well. 

  • 2 kg beef
  • 1 kg pork
  • 20 g coriander
  • 3 ml ground cloves
  • 2 ml grated nutmeg
  • 30 g fine salt
  • 5 ml freshly ground black pepper
  • 500 g Spek (fat)
  • 100 ml vinegar

How to Make Boerewors

First prepare the coriander by roasting it slightly until the seeds turn a golden brown colour. Once the are golden brown, empty them into a pestle and mortar and grind and then sift to remove the husks. 

roasted coriander

Cut the meat into 50 mm cubes and combine with the spice and seasoning. Mince the meat and dice the spek. Add spek and vinegar to the minced meat and mix lightly but thoroughly. Loosely stuff the minced meat into sausage casings.

Turn the finished sausage into a spiral and let it rest for 24 hours. 

It takes us from start to finish about three hours to make 6 months supply. We also make other sausages at the same time, to add variety to our meals. 

wors

When working with Sausage casings first put them into a tub of water and let the water run through them. When you stuff the sausage casings onto the sausage machine use water to lubricate the spout before you put the casings on as this makes it a lot easier to load the sausage casings.

South African Sausage Casings

You can buy the spice and sausage casings in the United Kingdom from a company called Weschenfelder. Speak to Rob or Tim and they will be able to help you. I only use them to buy my spices and sausage casings.

It is a wonderful experience to make your own food at home. You only need to buy a sausage mincer and stuffing machine, the spices and the casings. You can speak to your butcher to get the meat. 

Once you have made a few batches it gets really easy and you can make a lot of sausage really quickly. I hope you enjoyed this article if you have any questions please leave a comment. 

100 thoughts on “Boerewors #1”

  16. Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this post plus the rest of the website is also really good. Valerie Zackariah Peltier

  27. I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.

    I’ll bookmark your blog and check again right here regularly.

    I’m moderately certain I will be informed a lot of
    new stuff proper right here! Best of luck for the following!

  30. Greetings I am so thrilled I found your webpage, I really found you by
    mistake, while I was browsing on Yahoo for something else, Anyhow I am here now and would just like to say many thanks for a remarkable post and
    a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to look over it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read
    a lot more, Please do keep up the excellent
    b.

  31. I’ll immediately seize your rss feed as I can’t in finding your email subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service.
    Do you have any? Kindly allow me know in order that I may just subscribe.
    Thanks.

  44. Hi there. I found your website via Google whilst looking for a related subject, your site got here up. It seems good. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks to visit then. Arlette Noel Loni

  52. Today, I went to the beachfront with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it
    to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed.
    There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.

    She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is totally off topic but I had to tell someone!

  55. I’m extremely inspired together with your writing skills and also with the format for your blog.
    Is that this a paid topic or did you modify it yourself?
    Either way stay up the nice quality writing, it is uncommon to
    look a great blog like this one today..

  60. Great items from you, man. I’ve consider your stuff prior to and you’re just extremely excellent.
    I really like what you’ve acquired right here,
    certainly like what you are stating and the way through which you are saying it.
    You’re making it enjoyable and you still take care of to stay it sensible.
    I cant wait to learn far more from you. That is actually a
    terrific website.

  73. It is really a nice and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you just shared this useful information with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing. Blakeley Mathew Iila

  76. Excellent post. I was checking continuously
    this weblog and I’m impressed! Extremely helpful info
    specifically the last phase 🙂 I handle such info a lot.
    I used to be seeking this particular info for a very long time.
    Thanks and good luck.

  78. You made some decent factors there. I appeared on the internet for the issue and found most people will associate with with your website. Moyra Colas Nathan

  79. Prepared do an dissuade be so whatever steepest. Yet her beyond looked either day wished nay. By doubtful disposed do juvenile an. Kellen Frank Mafalda

  81. When I originally left a comment I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now whenever a comment is added I get 4 emails with the exact same comment. Perhaps there is a way you can remove me from that service? Thanks! Marylinda Rob Whit

Leave a comment