Name: Classic South African Braai Wors with Pork and Beef
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 5 servings (about 10 coils)
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: 600 g pork shoulder, trimmed and cubed (keep some fat); 400 g beef chuck, trimmed and cubed; 18 g fine sea salt (about 1 tbsp); 2 tbsp toasted coriander seeds, coarsely ground; 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 1 tbsp sweet paprika; 2 tbsp malt or brown vinegar; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp ice-cold water; 2 m natural hog casings, rinsed and soaked; 1 kg hardwood charcoal or 3 kg wood; 1 tsp coarse salt, for finishing; 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve; Soft white rolls or mealie pap, to serve

Braai wors is the smoky, spice-perfumed heart of any South African braai: a coiled coil of finely minced pork and beef, threaded onto a fork and shared around the fire. The classic seasoning leans on toasted coriander, nutmeg, and a splash of vinegar, which keeps the meat succulent over the coals. Once you've tasted a properly cooked coil, plain grills are never quite the same.

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time60 mins

Servings5

Yield5 servings (about 10 coils)

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

485 kcalCalories
34 gFat
12 gSaturated Fat
4 gCarbs
1 gFiber
2 gSugar
38 gProtein
1080 mgSodium
640 mgPotassium
55 mgCalcium
3.4 mgIron
3 mgVitamin C
45 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the sausage meat

600 g pork shoulder, trimmed and cubed (keep some fat)
400 g beef chuck, trimmed and cubed
18 g fine sea salt (about 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp toasted coriander seeds, coarsely ground
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp malt or brown vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ice-cold water
2 m natural hog casings, rinsed and soaked

For the braai

1 kg hardwood charcoal or 3 kg wood
1 tsp coarse salt, for finishing
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Soft white rolls or mealie pap, to serve

Directions

Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then crush coarsely. In a large chilled bowl, combine both meats with the salt, coriander, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, paprika, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and ice water.
Mix by hand for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is tacky and the spices are evenly distributed. Cover and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, so the flavors develop.
Rinse the hog casings under cold water. Slip a sausage-stuffer or jam-jar funnel onto the end of a casing, and thread the entire length onto it, leaving a 5 cm tail.
Load the meat into the stuffer and feed it down the casing with even pressure, keeping the coil loose enough to curl rather than burst. Tie the ends securely and prick any air bubbles with a pin.
Form the filled casing into coils about 15 cm across, weighted lightly with a skewer through the center, and rest the wors uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes to dry the surface.
Light the braai wood or charcoal 45 minutes ahead and let the flames die down to a steady bed of medium-glowing embers (about 200 C). A gentle white ash coat should cover the coals.
Set the coils on a grid about 15 cm above the coals and cook for 18-22 minutes, turning every 4-5 minutes so the casings blister and brown evenly without charring.
The wors is ready when the casings are crisp, dark amber, and splitting slightly, and the juices run clear. Sprinkle with coarse salt as soon as it comes off the grid.
Rest the wors for 3 minutes under loose foil so the juices settle, then slice into thick coins or coil whole onto a board. Serve hot with lemon wedges, soft rolls, or alongside pap and chakalaka.

Cook’s Notes

Coriander seed is the signature flavor of traditional braai wors; do not substitute ground coriander from a jar, as it loses its citrusy lift.
Chill the mixing bowl and the meat before stuffing: warm fat smears instead of binding, producing a crumbly rather than snappy sausage.
If you do not have a stuffer, snip a 5 mm opening in the corner of a heavy zip-lock bag and use it as a makeshift funnel.
The wors should turn slowly over medium coals; raging heat will split the casing before the meat is cooked through.
Leftover coils keep 3 days raw in the fridge or 3 months frozen; cook from frozen, adding about 6 minutes to grilling time.