Boerewors and pap is the heart of the Southern African braai. The sausage cooks slowly over coals, the fat renders into the fire, and the smoke does half the flavouring for you. Add pap (maize-meal porridge, the cousin of sadza) and a fresh tomato-onion relish and you have a meal that has fed families for generations.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 kg Fleish Meats Boerewors (one coil)
- Pap (see below)
For the tomato-onion relish (sheba)
- 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, finely chopped (optional, to taste)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the pap
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups white maize meal
- 1 tsp salt
Method
Braai the boerewors
- Build a moderate fire and let it burn down to glowing coals with a grey ash coating — you want medium, not screaming hot.
- Place the boerewors coil on the grid. Do not prick it: the casing holds the juices.
- Cook for about 20–25 minutes, turning carefully every 4–5 minutes, until the casing is lightly crisped and deep brown, and the centre is just cooked through. A flat tong and a flipping plate help keep the coil intact.
Make the relish
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion and chilli until soft, 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until thick and jammy. Keep warm.
Make the pap
- Bring 3 cups of the water with salt to a boil. Mix the maize meal with the remaining 1 cup of cold water to a smooth paste.
- Whisk the paste into the boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to low, cover, and steam for another 15 minutes. Stir once with a wooden spoon at the end.
To serve
Slice the boerewors into portions, spoon pap onto each plate, top with a generous ladle of relish, and set the sausage alongside. A cold drink and good company complete it.
Shop the meat: Fleish Meats Boerewors