Droe "wors" (Dried Sausage) Recipe
Any good quality "wors" of the thin variety can be hung out to dry. This practise dates right back to the era of the Great Trek in the early nineteenth century.
This is how Droe"wors" (dried sausage) tasted hundreds of years ago! Fundamentally the spice ingredients and the method of preparation remain the same as the "boerewors" recipe but the meat ingredients differ.
For the Trekkers in those days venison, beef and mutton was abundantly available, but pigs were not suitable company for them and their nomadic lifestyle.
Therefore, we use the same spices and method as for making "boerewors", but the meat type and quantity is slightly different.
Traditional Recipe
Ingredients
3 kg beef or venison (no pork or veal, it goes rancid when dried)
100 gr beef fat (no pork or "spek")
25 ml salt.
5 ml ground black pepper.
15 ml corriander, singed and ground (see hints and tips).
1 ml ground cloves.
2 ml nutmeg powder.
125 ml brown vinegar.
25 ml brandy (optional).
25 ml marsala (optional).
200 gr narrow (thin) sausage casings.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Always use very lean beef. However, even lean beef might have a certain amount of fat in it. Make sure that there is no more than 53/4 fat in the mix otherwise you will end up with a very greasy dry "wors"!
Method
Cube all meat.
Mix together thoroughly and mince coarsely.
Place meat in large bowl.
Add all dry spices, vinegar and brandy (if used).
Mix together lightly with a two pronged fork. Place in fridge for +/- 2 hours to blend flavours. Soak casings in water during this period.
Fit casings to sausage maker and fill with mixture.
Do not over- or under-stuff.
This "wors" is more suitable for drying than it is for cooking. Due to the absence of pork and "spek", it is not as succulent as normal "boerewors" and many people find the cooked variety of this recipe a bit too dry for their liking.
Also, hang this "wors" a bit longer than other types of "wors" as most people prefer it drier than the rest. It should snap like a twig when bent.