South African Braai Boerewors with Grilled Corn and Chakalaka

Get a proper braai going and let the wood or charcoal settle into hot, ashed-over coals.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boerewors sausage coil (or thick coarse beef sausage)
• 4 ears corn, husked
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 (14 oz) can baked beans
• Crusty bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Get a proper braai going and let the wood or charcoal settle into hot, ashed-over coals.
2. For the chakalaka, heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan at the edge of the fire and soften the onion, pepper and carrots until glossy.
3. Stir in the garlic, curry powder and smoked paprika and cook until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes.
4. Fold in the baked beans and let everything bubble into a thick, spicy relish; keep warm.
5. Coil the boerewors flat, secure it with two skewers in a cross, and brush lightly with the remaining olive oil.
6. Lay the coil over the coals and grill, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes — never prick it, or the juices escape.
7. Char the corn directly on the grate, turning until blistered and sweet.
8. Cut the boerewors into lengths and serve with the corn, a big spoon of chakalaka and crusty bread to mop the plate.
9. The braai is South Africa's national ritual, a social fire-cooking tradition that long predates the modern barbecue and brings whole communities around the coals. Boerewors — literally 'farmer's sausage' — is its centerpiece, a coriander-spiced beef coil grilled whole, while chakalaka, a fiery vegetable relish, adds the bright, spicy counterpoint. Together they turn any backyard fire into a true South African feast.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 720 kcal
• Protein: 34g
• Fat: 46g
• Carbohydrates: 44g
• Fiber: 9g
• Sugar: 14g
• Sodium: 1180mg