If you have South African friends, you have eaten boerewors. If you have not, it is the sausage you should try next, and it is nothing like the thin snags most Australians grew up on.
The short answer
Boerewors is a coarse ground South African beef sausage, spiced with coriander and clove and sold in a continuous spiral. Cook it whole over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turn it once, and never prick it. The coriander and the coarse grind are what make it boerewors rather than a beef sausage.
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What boerewors actually is
Boerewors is a coarse-ground, heavily spiced South African sausage sold in a continuous spiral rather than as links. The name comes from Afrikaans: boer, meaning farmer, and wors, meaning sausage. Farmer's sausage.
It is traditionally beef, sometimes with a little pork or lamb, ground coarse so you get actual texture rather than the smooth paste of a supermarket sausage. The signature is the spicing.
The spiral is not decoration. A coil holds together on the grill, cooks evenly because every part of it sits the same distance from the heat, and lets you serve it by cutting a length off rather than counting out links.
The spices that make it boerewors
Take the spice out and it is just a beef sausage. The classic profile is:
- Coriander seed, toasted and coarsely ground. This is the dominant flavour and it is non negotiable. Toasting is what turns it from soapy to warm and citrusy.
- Clove, in small amounts, for that warm background note. Easy to overdo, and overdone clove is the most common fault in bad boerewors.
- Nutmeg or allspice, a pinch.
- Black pepper, coarse.
- Vinegar, usually malt or brown, which sharpens everything and helps preserve.
Notice what is not there: no sage, no fennel, no chilli, no sugar. Boerewors is not a spicy sausage in the hot sense. It is an aromatic one.
The legal definition
South Africa actually has a legal standard for it, which is unusual for a sausage. To be sold as boerewors it must be:
- at least 90 percent meat
- no more than 30 percent fat
- free of mechanically recovered meat
- made with beef, or beef combined with lamb, pork or goat
That standard does not apply in Australia, which is exactly why it is worth asking your butcher what is in theirs. Anyone can put the word on a label here. The 90 percent figure is the one that matters, because the gap between a 90 percent sausage and a 60 percent one is filler, and you can taste it.
Boerewors versus a regular sausage
| Boerewors | Standard sausage | |
|---|---|---|
| Grind | Coarse | Fine |
| Shape | Continuous spiral | Links |
| Meat content | 90 percent minimum | Often much lower |
| Spicing | Coriander led | Usually mild, herb led |
| Casing | Natural | Natural or collagen |
| Rusk or filler | Minimal | Often significant |
| Cook time | 12 to 15 minutes | 8 to 10 minutes |
How to cook it properly
This is where most people go wrong, and all four mistakes come from treating it like a snag.
Do not prick it. Every hole lets the fat and juice out. The coil is meant to stay sealed, and the fat inside is what keeps a coarse grind moist.
Do not separate the coil. Cook it whole. It holds together better and cooks more evenly.
Medium heat, not high. Boerewors is thick. High heat chars the outside before the middle is done. Aim for a moderate fire and give it 12 to 15 minutes.
Turn it once, not constantly. Use tongs and a flat spatula, or run two skewers through the coil at right angles so you can flip the whole thing in one movement.
| Heat | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| High | 8 minutes | Burnt outside, raw centre |
| Medium | 12 to 15 minutes | What you want |
| Low | 25 minutes plus | Grey, no crust, fat rendered out |
It is done at an internal temperature of around 71C, or when the outside is deeply browned and the juices run clear. Rest it a few minutes before cutting.
Butcher's note
If your boerewors always splits, the problem is usually thawing rather than cooking. A fast thaw under water makes the natural casing fragile and it tears the moment it hits heat. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and most of the splitting stops on its own.
Traditional boerewors
Coarse ground beef, toasted coriander and clove, natural casings, coiled properly. Made in the shop at Mortdale.
Order onlineFive mistakes that split it
Pricking the casing. Never. There is no reason to do it and every reason not to.
Cooking it straight from a water thaw. Fridge, overnight. See above.
Too much heat. The casing contracts faster than the filling and something has to give.
Moving it constantly. Every turn is a chance to tear it. Once is enough.
Cutting it before it rests. Give it three or four minutes and the juice stays in the sausage rather than on the board.
What to eat it with
In South Africa the default is a boerie roll: a length of boerewors in a soft roll with tomato and onion relish. That is genuinely the best way to eat it, and it is what we would put in front of you if you turned up at the shop hungry.
Beyond that it goes with pap, a stiff maize porridge that does the job rice does elsewhere, and chakalaka, a spiced tomato, bean and vegetable relish. It is braai food, so treat it as barbecue rather than a formal dinner.
A sharp mustard works. Tomato sauce is fine and no one will judge you. What does not work is anything creamy, because the sausage is already rich.
Building a proper boerie roll
- Soft roll, not crusty. A hot dog roll or a soft white bap. Crusty bread fights the sausage.
- Cut a length, do not butterfly it. One straight length that overhangs both ends is the correct look.
- Relish underneath and on top. Grated tomato and onion cooked down with a splash of vinegar until jammy.
- Warm the roll on the grill for thirty seconds, cut side down, in the fat that has dripped.
That is the whole thing. Anyone adding cheese and bacon has lost the plot.
Buying and storing
Fresh boerewors keeps two to three days in the coldest part of the fridge. Keep it coiled and flat on a plate rather than squashed into a bag, because pressure marks the casing.
It freezes well. Freeze it flat on a tray so the coil holds its shape, then wrap it once it is solid. Three months is comfortable. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
When you are buying, look for a coil that holds together without being tightly packed, visible coarse grind through the casing, and specks of coriander you can actually see. Smooth pink filling means fine ground, which means it is a beef sausage with a different name.
Where to buy boerewors in Sydney
We make traditional boerewors at our shop in Mortdale and it is one of the lines we are best known for. Coarse ground beef, coriander and clove spicing, natural casings, coiled properly.
Pick it up at 42 Morts Road, Mortdale, or order it online. If you are after the rest of the South African range, we also carry wagyu biltong and droewors.
Questions we get asked
What is boerewors?
A coarse ground, coriander spiced South African beef sausage, sold in a continuous spiral rather than links.
What spices are in it?
Toasted coriander seed leads, with clove, nutmeg or allspice, black pepper and vinegar.
How do I stop it splitting?
Do not prick it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, use medium heat and turn it once.
What temperature should it reach?
Around 71C internal, which is 12 to 15 minutes over a moderate fire.
What do I serve it with?
A boerie roll with tomato and onion relish, or pap and chakalaka.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Freeze flat so the coil holds its shape, wrap once solid, use within three months.
Made in the shop at Mortdale
Coarse ground beef, toasted coriander, natural casings. Pickup at 42 Morts Road or delivery across Sydney.
Order boerewors