Boerewors rolls with tomato smoor
The people's champion. The difference between a good boereworsroll and a great one is the smoor — a slow tomato-and-onion relish that no bottle of sauce has ever beaten.
The people's champion. The difference between a good boereworsroll and a great one is the smoor — a slow tomato-and-onion relish that no bottle of sauce has ever beaten.
Ingredients
- 1 kg boerewors, in one coil
- 6 soft white rolls, buttered
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 4 ripe tomatoes, grated (or 1 tin chopped tomatoes)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt, black pepper, and a little chilli if you like
Method
- Start the smoor at the fire's flame stage: soften the onions in oil in a pan or flat potjie until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and sugar, season, and let it simmer lazily for 25–30 minutes until thick and jammy. Taste. Adjust. Taste again.
- When the coals reach the 8-second mark, braai the wors whole — never cut, never pierced — for 12–15 minutes, turning once or twice with tongs.
- Rest it a few minutes, cut into roll lengths, and serve in buttered rolls under a generous spoon of smoor.
Engineer's view
Read left to right: ingredients merge into steps, steps merge into supper.
| Ingredient | Process → | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil 2 tbsp | Soften the onions, ±10 min | Simmer lazily 25–30 min → thick, jammy smoor | Wors into buttered roll, smoor on top |
| Onions 2 large, sliced | |||
| Tomatoes 4 ripe, grated | Add & season | ||
| Sugar & seasoning 1 tsp sugar | |||
| Boerewors 1 kg, one coil | Braai whole · medium coals · 12–15 min · turn once or twice, never pierce | Rest a few minutes; cut to roll length | |
| Rolls 6 soft | Butter generously | ||
| Butter | |||
Which fire, and which day? Medium coals, the 8-second hand test. Hold your palm at grid height and count: 4 seconds is hot, 6 is hot-medium, 8 is medium, 10 or more is gentle. The full reading is the hand test, and the wood that makes those coals is in the wood guide. Buying notes: proper boerewors. Thursday 24 September is National Braai Day. Part of the Braai Day menu pack.
Questions the fire actually gets
What heat should boerewors rolls have?
Medium coals, the 8-second hand test. Braai the coil whole for 12–15 minutes, turning once or twice. Never cut it and never pierce the casing.
What is tomato smoor?
A slow tomato-and-onion relish. Soften the onions in oil for about 10 minutes, then add tomatoes, a teaspoon of sugar and seasoning, and simmer 25–30 minutes until thick and jammy.
Can boerewors rolls feed a Braai Day crowd?
Yes. One kilogram of wors makes six rolls, and pap en sous beside them stretches the fire to whoever arrives. They sit in the Braai Day menu pack with sosaties, pap, braaibroodjies and roosterkoek.
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