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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.

Medium coals · 8-second hand test Serves 6 50 minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. Add the tomatoes and sugar, season, and let it simmer lazily for 25–30 minutes until thick and jammy. Taste. Adjust. Taste again.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

IngredientProcess →
Oil 2 tbspSoften the onions, ±10 minSimmer lazily 25–30 min → thick, jammy smoorWors into buttered roll, smoor on top
Onions 2 large, sliced
Tomatoes 4 ripe, gratedAdd & season
Sugar & seasoning 1 tsp sugar
Boerewors 1 kg, one coilBraai whole · medium coals · 12–15 min · turn once or twice, never pierceRest a few minutes; cut to roll length
Rolls 6 softButter generously
Butter
Which fire? Hold your palm at grid height and count: 4 seconds is hot, 6–8 medium, 10+ gentle. The full fire-craft lives in the Fire & Wood guide.

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