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Boerewors
Coriander-spiced coiled sausage
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
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 ⅞ lb beef chuckin 3 cm cubes, very cold
- 1 ⅛ lb pork shoulderin 3 cm cubes, very cold
- 7 oz pork back fatin cubes, very cold
- 4 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp black peppercoarsely ground
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ cup malt or brown vinegar
- 3 m natural hog casings (32–35 mm)soaked and rinsed
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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.
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