Boerewors in Brooklyn!

You don't understand.

Or maybe you do.

It depends who you are.

There's no boerewors, here.

You see, once Vince had eaten his first bite of boerewors, there was no going back. He cries himself to sleep at night imagining sizzling coils of it on a kameeldoring fire. In South Africa, at home, I think we bored my parents to death by demanding braais every night: boerewors, lamb chops, lamb chops, boerewors, lamb ribs, boerewors.

Alleviated by a lot of arugula.

What is boerewors? - boo-ruh- vors. It is sausage. South African farmers' sausage, made with beef, mutton, pork, coriander, vinegar and important little pieces of fat. It's made in long coils, not links, and of course every butcher has his own recipe, and every grandmother her own. And it should be cooked on a fire.

I had this idea the other day, and I remembered it as we walked down to Los Paisanos on Smith this afternoon, to buy lamb shanks for tomato bredie to go with this cold wet evening. Los Paisanos makes a lot of sausage. Good sausage. Brats, duck, wild boar, blood, Berkshire pig, Italian with fennel seeds, Italian without fennel seeds, breakfast sausage, merguez, beef and herb, chicken and apple, chorizo...

And I have a boerewors recipe.

Why not...ask them if they'll make boerewors to the recipe????

So I did. And my favourite butcher said yes! I nearly spun a cartwheel on the spot. When he saw my face he burst out laughing. It was the most delighted I've been all year.  How much you want? he asked: 3lbs? You'll make that little on a custom order? I asked... Anything for you, he said.

I know he says that to all the girls, but I like it anyway.

I am so excited. I wonder what the first batch will taste like. I've checked with Vissie, my wors advisor, now based in Australia, who has tested the recipe thoroughly.

It will be the first boerewors sold in Brooklyn. I think. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Start your fires. Boerewors is coming to town.

Update, 02-13-2015: You can now place boerewors orders at Los Paisanos, the butcher who has been helping develop this pilot boerewors project. The minimum order is for 6lbs and you MUST bring your own spices and vinegar. 

If you want to make your own spice mix head on over next door to 66 Square Feet(the Food) for the boerewors recipe.