hot smoked wors

[lostbok]

More of a cooking technique than a recipe, but here's the guide I send to people when they ask how:

This is a great variation on braai'd wors that's pretty much idiot proof and all but guarantees not burning wors if you've got a lot of food to cook and want to have some time away from manning the braai grid - especially good if you're cooking anything else on another braai as what little time or effort is needed can be done very much at your convenience.

You'll need a kettle-style (Weber) braai with a lid and a lot of herbs (rosemary is best): I started this recipe when a neighbour cut down a rosemary thicket outside his house and I had harvested about 6 big black bags of the stuff in my garage.

..and you'll need some porkies / thick-cut boerie (anything except skinny wors as it will end up like droewors!).

Ideally allow yourself a little extra time the first time you do this as it's possible to kill off the heat source if you're not careful!

1) Get the braai going, you'll only need a SMALL amount of GOOD quality charcoal or hardwood that will give you a decent heat for 30-60 mins. Only start when the coals are at max heat. Weber "coal chimney" is ideal for getting this going! I can't get decent hardwood where I am, so usually use 4-6 large lumps of charcoal (at least the size of your fist).
2) Move the heat source on one side of the braai (using the little Weber retainers, if you have them).
3) Take a large* quantity of broken down rosemary branches, ideally freshly cut and dampened down: * a regular Pick'N'Pay shopping bag, fairly full, I put about a cup of water in the bag, shake it around and let the excess drain out.
4) Depending on the grid (with/without flaps), you may need two people (or move fast!), but you need to line up the boerewors / porkies on the grid AWAY from the heat source, then lift the flap/whole grid, place as much of the wet herbs on the heat source and then close the whole lot up as quickly as possible.
5) go and get another drink and wait: if you can see some smoke, then your food has started cooking.... only lift the lid if there's no smoke.

Cooking times vary a LOT depending on heat source and how often you check them, but can be anything from 20-45mins - you're essentially oven cooking them, but with a strong rosemary smoked flavour. Normally around 25-30mins if you've got some good, dense coal and don't check it too often.

I'd recommend keeping the lid on almost all the time and throttling the air so it allows the herbs to smoulder, but ideally NOT to flame or burn properly.

6) If the smoke stops altogether OR at ~15mins lift the lids and check how quickly it's cooking and to do some "maintenance":
   a) the rosemary might need turning / damping down / replacing
   b) the sausage WILL need turning at least the once - note that it goes brown from the TOP, so will dry out if you don't.

The meat will probably end up with a pink outside edge from the rosemary oils and smoke penetrating it, so don't think that's undercooked, just check the centre is piping hot, which is should be!

NB - common sense really, but after a few beers, you may not realise this, but if you if you kill off the fire and need to get it going again, make sure you move your wors away from the fire as there will be a lot of ash when you start to fan the coals!!!!

[Michael Alexander]

This I am going to try!

I only discovered the wonders of cooking with a Weber late in life and really enjoy the amazing range of meats one can prepare in it. Smoked whole birds being one of my favourites.

Another amazing product to cook in a Weber is Skilpaadjies, but only at the end of your main meal cooking....... Just drip them above the dying coals and close the lid, setting the vent to about 90% closed, then walk away and forget about them, in about 90 minutes you will be amazed to see that the skilppadjies have cooked and even in some cases, crisped.... All from leftover coals...