3-day Beef, Sausage and Salami workshop

Join us at Wickedfood Earth Farm for three days of hands-on learning exploring the craft of traditional beef curing, artisanal sausage making, and dried sausages and salami.

From South African favourites such as biltong, droëwors and boerewors to distinctive fresh sausages and classic European-style salami, you’ll learn the principles behind the processes, how ingredients work together, and how to develop and adapt recipes to suit your own tastes and ideas.

Whether you’re interested in making better products at home or exploring the possibilities of developing your own products as a small business, this workshop offers practical skills and knowledge to build on.

You can attend individual days or join us for the complete three-day experience.

When: 7 to 9 November 2026.

Where: Wickedfood Earth Farm, Hekpoort, Gauteng.

Workshop Cost: One day: R1,990; any two days: R3,980; all three days: R5,800.

We’ve kept our workshop rates unchanged for three years, but increasing costs mean that may not be possible into 2027. This may be your last opportunity to book at our current prices.

To Book: cilla@wickedfood.co.za 076 236-2345.

 

Day 1 – Boerewors, Droewors and Biltong

Drawing on more than 200 years of family curing traditions, combined with practical experience on a working farm, Mike shares the knowledge and techniques behind making quality meat products. Unlike commercially prepared products that often rely on prepacked spice mixes, our traditional recipes use quality beef, carefully balanced spices, salt, sugar, vinegar, time and patience, without artificial preservatives or flavour enhancers.

During the day, we cover:

  • Identifying the different beef muscles and selecting the best cuts for biltong.
  • Preparing a dry cure for biltong and chilli bites.
  • Preparing, applying, curing and ageing beef.
  • The principles of making classic South African beef boerewors.
  • Making traditional droëwors.

Learn to understand the process behind these familiar South African favourites and the techniques that contribute to their distinctive flavour and quality.

Day 2 – Fresh Sausage making to recipe development

Learn the principles of making distinctive sausages using different meats, seasonings and flavour combinations.

This introductory workshop explores the fundamentals of sausage making, helping you understand how to balance meat and spices, how different types of sausage are made, and how to interpret, adapt and develop recipes rather than simply follow instructions.

Topics include:

  • The basics of creating a balanced meat and spice mix.
  • Understanding the differences between fresh, cooked and dried sausages.
  • Working with different animal proteins, including chicken, pork and mutton or goat.
  • Understanding pre-mixed sausage batch packs and why we prefer to formulate our own mixes.
  • Interpreting, adapting and developing sausage recipes.

Mike will share six of his favourite sausage recipes. During the workshop, we’ll make a selection of four:

  • Chicken sausage.
  • Classic pork breakfast sausage.
  • Mexican fresh, spicy chourizo.
  • Lamb kafta sausage with feta cheese.

This day is ideal for anyone wanting to improve their sausage-making skills or explore the principles involved in developing distinctive products on a small scale.

Day 3 – Dried sausages & salami

Explore the craft of making dried sausages and salami, where the balance of ingredients and understanding of the curing and fermentation processes are essential.

Learn how salt, spices and curing ingredients work in dried sausage production, how different flavour combinations influence the finished product, and how cultures and fermenting agents work. We also explore how to make your own cultures and fermenting agents.

During the workshop, we’ll make four classic products:

  • Saucisson Sec — a classic French dry-cured salami.
  • Spanish chourizo — characterised by the rich, sweet flavour of paprika with a hint of chilli.
  • Cotto — a classic American cooked and cured summer sausage, with a hint of coriander.
  • Pepperoni — a pork-and-beef sausage seasoned with paprika, a touch of chilli and fennel, ideal as a pizza topping.

This day introduces the principles behind these different products and helps you understand how curing, fermentation, ingredients and technique contribute to their character.