Boerewors
Sausage in a continuous spiral, inherited from the colonisation of South Africa in the seventeenth century, whose composition is protected by a regulation of 1990. The casing is never cut before cooking at the braai.
| Lean beef (chuck or shin) | 600 g |
| Lean pork (shoulder) | 200 g |
| Beef or pork fat | 200 g |
| Fine salt | 20 g |
| Coriander seeds, toasted and ground | 15 g |
| Ground black pepper | 3 g |
| Ground clove | 1 g |
| Grated nutmeg | 2 g |
| Ground allspice | 1 g |
| Wine or malt vinegar | 30 ml |
| Hog casing (Ø 36–40 mm) | — |
- Preparation: Cut the meat and the fat into 2 to 3 cm cubes. Chill.
- Toasting the coriander: Toast the coriander seeds dry until fragrant, then grind them.
- Mincing: Mince through the 6 to 8 mm plate for the traditional coarse texture.
- Seasoning: Mix all the spices with the vinegar. Add to the meats. Knead briefly to avoid overheating.
- Resting: Refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours.
- Stuffing: Stuff into the casings, forming one long continuous sausage. Coil into a spiral (the characteristic form).
- Braai: Grill over hardwood embers for 15 to 20 minutes, turning regularly. Never prick.
The name boerewors joins the Afrikaans boer (farmer) and wors (sausage). It is one of the rare sausages in the world whose composition is protected by law: a government regulation of 1990 imposes, among other things, a minimum of 90 per cent meat, a maximum of 30 per cent fat, and a prohibition on adding vegetable or dairy proteins. Freshly ground coriander, present in nearly all the boerewors on sale, is not prescribed by the text but is part of the professional consensus inherited from the Dutch tradition. A product that does not meet the legal requirements may not bear the name.
Its history goes back to the Dutch, German and French Huguenot settlers who established themselves at the Cape from 1652. They brought the charcuterie techniques of northern Europe and the spices of the Indo-Pacific trade passing through the Cape: coriander, nutmeg, clove, pepper. Coriander, one of the cheapest spices available at the Cape in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, took hold on a massive scale. The essential oils released by grinding penetrate the meat quickly and remain there durably during cooking. Boerewors grilled without coriander is not boerewors.
The braai is a social barbecue, whose name comes from the Afrikaans braaivleis (grilled meat), and is far more than a cooking technique in South Africa: it is a communal ritual that crosses ethnic origins and social classes. The boerewors is grilled there, without exception, in a continuous spiral, with the casing never cut before cooking, since a cut would let the juices and spiced fat escape. It is served in a small, round roll (boerie roll) with chakalaka (a hot condiment, said to have originated in the townships, made from beans and vegetables).
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