How I Make Any Droewors - South African Dried Sausage

beef

🥗Healthier: game meat

💰Cheaper: pork

Game meat offers a leaner option, while pork is often less expensive.

vinegar

🥗Healthier: apple cider vinegar

💰Cheaper: white vinegar

Apple cider vinegar adds flavor and is often perceived as healthier.

spices

🥗Healthier: herbs

💰Cheaper: mixed spice blend

Using herbs can reduce sodium intake, while spice blends are cost-effective.

Wear gloves or keep hands clean throughout the process.

Cut the beef into small cubes, including the fat, aiming for about 20% fat.

Pop the meat into the freezer until super cold, almost frozen.

Rinse and soak the casings in cold water.

Dry roast coriander in a skillet until fragrant.

Blend the coriander until not totally smooth, then blend cloves and black pepper until fine.

Add the blended spices to the coriander.

Add Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, red wine, and brandy to the spice mix.

Grate fresh garlic to a paste and chop rosemary finely for the venison mix.

Blend black pepper, juniper berries, and roasted coriander together until evenly ground for the venison.

Combine garlic, rosemary, spices, vinegar, and wine for the venison cure.

Chop sage finely for the pork mix and mince or grate garlic into a paste.

Add smoked paprika to the pork mix and combine with wet ingredients.

Grab the meats from the freezer and add salt followed by the wet cure, mixing thoroughly.

Cover and let the mixture sit in the fridge for about two hours.

Use a coarse grinding plate to mince the mixture once, ensuring equipment is clean and ice cold.

Cover the minced meat and refrigerate again, maintaining temperature control.

Feed casings onto the nozzle of the mincer, keeping it moist.

Stuff the casings with the meat mixture, being careful not to overstuff or break them.

Tie off the ends of the sausages and pop any air bubbles with a toothpick or needle.

Hang the sausages on wooden dowels or hooks, ensuring they are equally bent in half.

Weigh the sausages and label with starting weight, aiming for 40% weight loss during drying.

Set dehydrator to the lowest setting (30-40C or 86-104F) or use a fridge with a fan and heater to create a curing chamber at 18C (64F).

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: