Boerewors

Our family is a real mix no kidding!  My husband is South African and me well my dad says I'm half Dane and the rest Ish!  This sits just right with me; I love to explore all kinds of different foods and the traditional dishes of all cultures.  

Several times throughout  the year on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, we make a South African sausage called Boerewors (farmers sausage),  yesterday was one of those times.  Though Boerewors is a rich sausage on its own, it has also become somewhat of a tradition for us to have Lamb Chops with this meal.  We had Bread Pudding for dessert- that recipe follows this one, be sure to check it out, it is to die for!

South African Boerewors recipes are a plenty and each one tries to perfect a better, tastier sausage.   

I have read along the way, that it was and still is, a point of honor with farmers wives and butchers not to add breadcrumbs or soya to bulk up the meat filling.  

This is our favorite basic recipe:

Boerewors

3 lbs. beef (chuck)*

3 lbs. pork (pork butt)

1 lb. bacon 

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3 tablespoon ground coriander (slightly toast coriander seed and grind with pestle)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 1/2 oz sausage casing

Soak sausage casing in water for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile Cut beef and pork into about 1 inch cubes.  Dice the bacon into pieces no larger than 1 inch.  Mix it well with all the other ingredients, except the sausage casing. 

Grind the meat using a medium-coarse grinding plate. 

drain casings and rinse by running water through the inside several times to remove excess salt. 

slide casing on the sausage stuffer.

Fill the sausage casings firmly, but not too tightly with the meat mixture. 

If you haven't already, get the braai (grill) fired up and slap a coil on!

fresh sausage with keep for a couple days in the refrigerator or about 1 month in the freezer. 

*Traditionally Boerewors is made with a combination of pork and beef; it can be with beef only, but add 2 teaspoons oil or fat for each lb. of meat.