Category Archives: All about Boerewors

Where does Boerewors come from and why is it called Boerewors?

The words Boerewors comes from the Afrikaans words Boer (Farmer) and wors (sausage). Boerewors is an inheritance from centuries ago, when the inhabitants combined minced meat and cubed spek (pork and/or beef fat) with spices and preservatives (vinegar), which were freely available from the then Cape Colony. It’s basically a culmination of culinary skills of the local tribes, European settlers, and Eastern arrivals. Sausage making skills of the Europeans, spices and knowledge of how to use them from the east, and good South African meat and braaing knowledge from the local tribes. Boerewors is thus a true rainbow nation creation. In the years that followed this type of wors gradually evolved and the term “Boerewors” became entrenched in our culture.

During the great trek large quantities of wors would be made during the outspan (stopover) and that which could not be eaten would be hung to dry and taken along for sustenance as they continued their explorations. This was the birth of “droëwors”.

Yes – our politicians and cultural leaders alike encourage us to remember, cherish and celebrate our cultural heritage. Not everything in our past is bad – Boerewors and Shebeens are examples of good things born in our past.

The skin of Boerewors is also know as  the casing. So what is the skin of the Boerewors made of? Some casings are made of intestines that have been well trimmed and properly cleaned. You also get casings made from things like collagen and alginate. You’ll find collagen in bones as the main protein of connective tissue, and alginate is a viscous gum that comes from seaweed. The casing is quite important. If there was no casing, it would be boeremince.

Sometimes the skin of the boerewors, also known as the casing, is quite tough to bite through. Hog casings, used for thicker boerewors, are generally tougher than sheep casings used for thinner boerewors. Naturally they will be tougher to bite through. However – the real culprits are inferior casings, which are hard to bite through due to the method used to clean them.

All the casing sold by Freddy Hirsch (our partner on “Project Boerewors”) are tenderbite. Don’t worry; they deliver to some of the major supermarket groups as well as to many independent butchers. Find the names of participating butcheries in the downloads section of this website.

A bubble often appears on the inside of the skin (casing) of Boerewors during braaing. Within reason, this is normal, as good boerewors always contains a reasonable amount of fat that melts as heat is applied. Some inferior fats used in boerewors have lower melting points and will bubble under the skin while the wors is still cooking. This causes the excessive, cooking pots of fat that one sometimes see. Luckily, boerewors is self regulating and the bubble usually bursts and your wors is then rid of this fat. This is however not ideal, as with those juices, goes part of the flavour.

Pricking holes in your boerewors is a matter of preference. Some people prefer not to prick a good boerewors as the juices equal flavour. Others want the extra fat to drip into the fire, making the boerie fit for any diet. If you feel the constant need to prick those big fat bubbles on the wors, also consider looking at alternative butchers or types of boerewors that contains less fat to start with. Whilst some bubbles are normal, expected, and good; excessive fat bubbles in boerewors is not positive sign in terms of quality.

Sometimes the skin of the boerewors (called the casing) bursts during the braai. More often than not it is the actual boerewors that is the culprit and not the casing. Too much fat in the wors can cause the casing to rapture – which is then not a bad thing! Bursting boerewors can also be your own fault. If your fire is too hot the casing will shrink faster than the meat…and the inevitable will happen.

There are a variety of reasons why boerewors is not always the same colour. The combination of meat (beef, pork) fat, and spices will vary from recipe to recipe. This will affect the colour because pork is lighter than beef and Worchester sauce is darker than vinegar. The freshness of the meat and the age of the animal also play a role, since an older specimen’s meat tends to be darker than a young one’s. There is unfortunately no hard and fast rule about the colour of the boerewors and the quality thereof.

If a boerewors is made in a consistent way, with consistent raw materials, it should always be the same colour. This is what you should look for. You will then be able to select boerewors that you prefer, rather than wait for a surprise when you get to the braai. When in any doubt, ask your local butcher for his advice in making your choice. Remember, even a supermarket has a butcher on site, who will be able to advise you.

Fortunately like most things that start with the word ‘boer’ this wors is not fickle. You can microwave it, leave it in the sun or even braai it frozen.

The best way to defrost boerewors is the same as the best way to defrost all meat, and that is to take your boerewors out the freezer well in advance and place it in the refrigerator to defrost very slowly. This will prevent the boerewors from losing moisture. Defrosting it at room temperature will go a little faster and is absolutely fine, but just not “perfect”. If you’re in a hurry and want to defrost it in tepid water, please note two things; that the water is not too hot, as too hot water will start cooking the meat; secondly, make sure the wrapping is waterproof.

The best way to braai boerewors is over gentle coals. Keep turning the boerewors so that one side of the casing does not become too crispy as it might burn. Do not overdo the braaing. Boerewors is best when it is still nice and juicy. The risks involved with eating underdone/raw boerewors is minimal, and some people even eat a piece of completely raw boerewors from time to time. You basically want all the meat in the boerewors done medium, with the natural juices kept in by the casing providing the rest of the pleasure. Do not let it rest for too long before eating. About 2 or 3 minutes is ideal. Just long enough for the juices to cool down sufficiently not to burn your mouth when eating.

Can I braai boerewors that is frozen? We all have this problem sometimes. Its late at night, you are still sitting around the fire, and the craving for some more braaied meat arises. There are enough coals, but no more meat. There is however, in your fridge, a pack of frozen boerewors. How should it be braaied? If the need to braai is pressing you can defrost your boerewors slowly on the far (coolest side) of the braai. Thus the trick when braaing frozen boerewors is to start slowly.