Pork sausages with tomato smoor, wrapped in lettuce
I have a deep love for all things braai. The smell of the fire, the social atmosphere and most of all, the food. We like to braai multiple times a week. It’s easy, relaxed and simply South African.
Who’s hungry? Vincent and I. This recipe serves 2 people.
Ingredients:
- Pork sausages
- Lettuce leaves
- 25 baby tomatoes, halved
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp Robertsons Italian herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 50g tomato paste
- 3 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp mushroom sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
Let’s braai!
Make a fire using wood – like real Afrikaners do.
Pour yourself a glass of wine to enjoy while the wood slowly turns to coals. Tonight, I’m having Boland Cellar Sixty-40.
To make the tomato smoor, add the butter to a pot and pop it on the stove on medium heat. Fry the onions, garlic and chilli flakes until the onions turn golden brown.
Now chuck the baby tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian herbs, mushroom sauce, salt and pepper into the pot and whirl it around on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat down to low so it all just sensually simmers. Stir occasionally.
When the coals are ready, put your pork sausages on a braai grid and get them grilling.
But Jana, how do I know when my coals are ready?
Disgruntled Reader
To know whether your coals are ready, hold your hand at grid height for 3 seconds without squealing like a pig.
Turn the sausages every time you noticeably see it browning (more or less every 4 mins) for a total of 20-25 minutes, or until beautifully charred to your satisfaction. Don’t overdo it. There’s no sausage as delicious as a juicy sausage.
Tear off some lettuce, preferably big enough to wrap around a sausage. Our leaves were a little small, unfortunately. Then plop a sausage in the middle of the leaf and generously pour tomato smoor over it before rolling the sides of the lettuce around your saucy piggy.
Take a big, messy bite!
Get the print-ready recipe here:
Pigs in a Pasture
Ingredients
- Pork sausages
- Lettuce leaves
- 25 baby tomatoes, halved
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp Robertsons Italian herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 50g tomato paste
- 3 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp mushroom sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
Directions
- Make a fire using wood — like real Afrikaners do.
- To make the “tomato smoor”, add the butter to a pot and pop it on the stove on medium heat. Fry the onions, garlic and chilli flakes until the onions turn golden brown.
- Now chuck the baby tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian herbs, mushroom sauce, salt and pepper into the pot and whirl it around on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then turn the heat down to low so it all just sensually simmers. Stir occasionally.
- When the coals are ready, put your pork sausages on a braai grid and get them grilling. (To know whether your coals are ready, hold your hand at grid height for 3 seconds without squealing like a pig.)
- Turn the sausages every time you noticeably see it browning (more or less every 4 mins) for a total of 20-25 minutes, or until beautifully charred to your satisfaction. Don’t overdo it. There’s no sausage as delicious as a juicy sausage.
- Tear off some lettuce, preferably big enough to wrap around a sausage. Our leaves were a little small, unfortunately. Then plop a sausage in the middle of the leaf and generously pour “tomato smoor” over it before rolling the sides of the lettuce around your saucy piggy.
Jana Cooks 