For our Boerewors mix, we buy 50% beef steak mince and %50 pork mince, we don't grind the meat again but just mix it thoroughly with the spices and then stuff the hog casings.

We do have the occasional failure but enjoy it so much more than the boerewors we buy locally.

Cliff

The recipe I read recommended 1 cup water / 1 tablespoon white vinegar, then to wash the casing with clean water after soaking. The last time I made wors I did not rinse the water / vinegar solution off, and I thought the taste was fantastic. Besides that I felt most of the slight vinegar taste on the outside of the casings would be diminished during braaing. And so it did!

Try it and please let me know if any of you agree this is better?

Over time I’ve experimented with making wors, bumping my head here and there, and it still remains the best way to learn how to create the perfect Boerie to match your taste.
Reading the interesting comments, I’d like to add some tips to maybe help some folks.

For my wors I use Chuck Roast and Pork Boston Butt. Chuck here in the States is very different to what I knew in SA. I also do not buy the cheapest meat on the market, rather go for beter quality because I like a premium tasting wors.

As far as preventing the “dry tasting” wors, I have changed my method over time by doing the following:- I cut as much fat off the meat before grinding, then set the fat aside. That "flabby" Pork fat from the butt I discard and rather buy the packs of salted pork belly fat strips. If it has skin on I cut it off. I work on a ratio of 1/3 beef fat to 2/3 pork fat, then work on a ratio (equivalent) of 3 lbs Beef meat, 3 lbs Pork meat and 1 lb fat for the wors. I grind the Fat first on the fine disk, then mix it with the meat before grinding the meat on the course disc. In this way the fat is not too “chunky” in the wors yet still adds enough moisture so it is not dry. Just my preference to not see the pieces of fat, even cooked when cutting the wors after braaing it.

When I made my first batch of wors, I also used the meat grinder to grind the meat on the large disc, then stuff the wors with the grinder by removing the disc and adding the stuffing tube. To my own taste preference, I found the texture of the wors to be too fine. And as with all hobbies, we start with one item then add more, so I bought a sausage stuffer and prefered the texture. I have also invested in a vacuum packer and love this gadget!

Some advice on the casings after experimenting around:- To freeze does not work so well, I don’t know if they get freezer burn or if the freezing affects the casing, but if you store them in a plastic container (with lid) and very liberally add salt and if needed add very little distilled water to maintain moisture. The salt has to be so liberal that it will not dissolve further. Just refrigerate them and they will have an indefinite shelf live. Before using the casing, just rinse the salt off.
I buy my casings from http://www.sausagemaker.com , they may be a bit more expensive than your local butcher. But I just prefer their casings, they are very good quality and consistent in diameter.
They also sell Lamb casings and in time I would like to make my own lamb sausage and also some beef sausage on small diameter casings (3/4”) for dry wors.
This week I’m working on the German Bratwurst and Weisswurst. My Dad was German, and we used to buy these sausages from a German Butcher on the East Rand “Herti”.

Whising everyone happy braai times!

To Nadia (the comment above this one), if the wors is a little dry, I would add more fat. There are some traditionalists out there who will add up to 20% fat. That's a little much for me, but you could start off with 10% fat. Working with the recipe on my SA-Austin site, add about a half pound fat (250g). As I said in the article, some of it also depends on the cut of meat you are using. We use brisket for the beef component and it already contains a fair amount of fat in the meat. Experiment with the fat until you find a balance that works for you.