The next review on Braaitime will focus on a 4 ounce/113 gram bag of their traditional beef droëwors flavor. Droëwors is an Afrikaan name that translates to dry sausage, and has South African roots. This droëwors was kindly submitted for review by the owners, Warren Pala and his wife Nicolle.
This family owned and operated Braaitime brand name is distributed by Braaitime LLC. They are located in Keansburg, New Jersey, and were founded in 2006 after emigrating from South Africa. The word ‘Braai’ is Dutch, meaning barbecue or grill. Following the true authentic traditions of South African Droëwors, it is dried for up to 10 days. No unhealthy fillers are used. Whole muscle choice Angus beef rounds are cut into pieces, ground up with spices, and then stuffed into fresh lamb casings. Braaitime also sells Hatch Green Chili Droëwors and Chorizo Droëwors, which uses spices more common to American cuisine.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Beef, Salt, Vinegar, Black Pepper, Coriander, Nutmeg, Clove, Lamb Casing.
The beef used is guaranteed to be ethically raised, meaning the cattle are never given growth hormones. There are no guarantees that the cattle have at least partial free range access to graze on grass, but Braaitime does offer a 100% grass-fed line of their products that would receive an Excellent (10/10) ingredient rating.
The liquid marinade used is just healthy vinegar.
While not officially certified, all of the ingredients used are organic. Black pepper, coriander, nutmeg, and cloves all contain healthy qualities.
Admirably, there is no sugar used in these Droëwors sticks. The salt level is respectable at 290mg of salt per 28 grams of jerky. While not explicitly stated in the ingredient list, sea salt is used, as opposed to highly refined table salt. Sea salt is high on essential and trace minerals.
This jerky does qualify to have no sodium nitrite, or use any other similar unhealthy preservatives. Instead, the main preservative used is salt. To the credit of Braaitime, there is no MSG added.
Very Good (9/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
These Droëwors sticks are 6″ in length, and each weigh about one ounce. The texture is quite soft and tender, which is mostly easy to chew, and tends to melt in your mouth. There are visible signs of fat that add to the overall natural beef flavor. Handling these Droëwors sticks leaves no oily residue on your fingers.
The first taste detected is a moderate level of vinegar. There is a mild salt level, and a light peppered level. With no sweetness at all, a good deal of natural beef flavor is present. Especially with the amount of fat present.
The combination of coriander, nutmeg, and cloves is excellent tasting. It is reminiscent of how biltong tastes, but with a much different texture. There is even a light taste of the lamb casing. Overall, this is much more interesting tasting than any traditional beef stick, pepperette, or sausage.
This 4 ounce/113 gram bag sells online for $9.99. That works out to $2.50 an ounce, which rates as a slightly expensive price. The price is cheaper if you order larger quantities. These Droëwors sticks are absolutely recommended as worth your money from both health and taste perspectives.
Excellent (10/10) – Taste Rating
Bag Review
This resealable plastic bag has a label affixed to both the front and back. The logo resembles a coil of South African boerewors sizzling on the grill (Braai).
Their slogan is “Gourmet Cured Meats”. The only fact displayed on this bag is “Dried Beef Sausage”. On the back, there is a great blurb printed about the Braaitime commitment to providing a quality product, and the health benefits of consuming Droëwors.
All bag categories are addressed here with the minor exception that the weight is not stated in grams. To the credit of Braaitime, a toll free phone number is provided for customer inquiries. While not stated on the bag itself, a satisfaction guaranteed policy is offered.
Order their biltong online: www.braaitime.com
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