Rookworst Meets Chorizo Criollo: Two Sausages, One Fire, One Winner
Every country has a sausage it is proud of. The Netherlands has rookworst. Argentina has chorizo criollo. Put them both on the same fire and something interesting happens.
Ask any Dutch person what goes on the grill in summer and rookworst is near the top of the list. It is smoky, satisfying, and deeply familiar. It has been part of Dutch outdoor cooking for generations. Most Dutch grillers would not think twice about it.
Now ask an Argentine what starts every asado. The answer is chorizo criollo. It goes on the grill before the main cuts arrive, cooks in 15 to 20 minutes, and gives people standing around the fire something to eat while they wait. It is the warm-up act that often gets talked about as much as the main event.
Both sausages are built around the same idea. Good meat, good seasoning, open fire, no fuss. But the flavour profiles are completely different and cooking them side by side on the same grill is one of the most interesting things you can do at a Dutch summer BBQ. Chorizo criollo is a cornerstone of Argentine asado culture, one of the first things placed on the parrilla at every gathering across the country.
This recipe shows you how to cook both properly on the Omberg Asado Gaucho 1200, serve them together, and let your guests decide which one they prefer.
Most will want both.
Rookworst vs Chorizo Criollo: What Is the Difference
Before cooking, it helps to understand what you are working with.
Rookworst is a Dutch smoked sausage, traditionally made from pork and beef, seasoned with mace, cloves, and white pepper, then cold-smoked. The smoking is done before the sausage reaches you. This means when you put rookworst on the grill, you are not cooking raw meat from scratch. You are heating through and adding a second layer of caramelisation and open-fire char on top of the existing smoke flavour. It is a quick cook. 10 to 15 minutes. The skin splits slightly when it is ready and that is the sign you are looking for.
Chorizo criollo is a fresh, raw Argentine pork sausage. It is not cured or smoked beforehand. The seasoning is simple: paprika, garlic, oregano, salt, and sometimes a small amount of chilli. Because it is raw, it needs a longer and more careful cook. 15 to 20 minutes over moderate heat, turning regularly, until the internal temperature reaches 70 degrees Celsius and the juices run clear. The skin chars and blisters beautifully on an open fire.
The key difference at the grill is this. Rookworst is already cooked and needs heat and char. Chorizo criollo is raw and needs patience and even heat throughout.
On the Omberg Asado Gaucho 1200 you can run both on the same grate at the same time because the 120 cm surface gives you genuine heat zones. Place the chorizo criollo over the hotter central zone and the rookworst slightly to the side where the heat is steadier and more moderate. Both finish within a few minutes of each other.
Ingredients
Serves: 4 to 6 people Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes Difficulty: Easy
The sausages:
- 4 to 6 links of Dutch rookworst, good quality from a butcher if possible
- 4 to 6 links of chorizo criollo, fresh and raw, available from Argentine or Spanish delicatessens or specialty online butchers
For the fire:
- Good hardwood charcoal or quebracho wood
- Chimney starter or natural firelighters
The accompaniments:
- Dutch yellow mustard, classic and strong
- Chimichurri for the chorizo criollo (see our chimichurri recipe on the Omberg blog)
- Crusty Dutch bread or soft white rolls
- Caramelised onions cooked on the grill alongside (method below)
- Pickles on the side
Instructions
Step 1: Build Your Fire
Start your fire 40 to 50 minutes before cooking. Sausages need a medium heat, not the low slow fire of a long beef cook. You want a steady, moderate bed of coals that gives you good char without burning the outside before the inside is done.
Use a chimney starter. When the coals are grey and glowing, pour them into the base of the Omberg Asado Gaucho 1200 and spread them so the centre is slightly hotter than the edges. Set the grates at mid height. This is your cooking position.
Target temperature: 180 to 200 degrees Celsius. Hold your hand 15 cm above the grate. You should be able to hold it there for 4 to 5 seconds.
Step 2: Start the Caramelised Onions
This step happens before the sausages go on and it is worth the extra effort.
Slice 2 large onions into thick rings. Place the Carbon Steel Griddle from Omberg on one side of the grate and add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil. When the fat is hot, add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook slowly, turning occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and soft. The sweet, jammy onions alongside the smoky sausages are one of the great simple combinations in outdoor cooking.
Step 3: Place the Chorizo Criollo First
Chorizo criollo goes on before the rookworst because it needs more time. Place the fresh sausages on the hotter central zone of the grate.
Cook over moderate heat, turning every 3 to 4 minutes. You are looking for an even, all-over char on the skin with no bursting or splitting. If the skin starts to split before 12 minutes, move the chorizo to a cooler zone. The skin should blister and colour gradually, not burst from direct high heat.
Total cook time for chorizo criollo: 15 to 20 minutes. Internal temperature at the thickest point should reach 70 degrees Celsius. Juices run clear when you pierce with a skewer.
Use the long-handled tongs from the Omberg BBQ Tool Set for turning. Sausage casings puncture easily with a fork and you lose the juices. Always use tongs.
Step 4: Add the Rookworst
Five minutes after the chorizo criollo goes on, place the rookworst on the cooler side of the grate.
Because rookworst is already cooked and smoked, the goal is not to cook it through but to heat it completely and add a layer of open-fire caramelisation to the skin. Turn every 3 to 4 minutes. The skin will start to colour and tighten after 8 minutes. After 10 to 12 minutes it will show slight splits at the surface. That is when it is ready.
Do not overcook rookworst on the grill. Past 15 minutes at this heat the skin gets tough and the interior dries out. Watch it carefully.
Step 5: Rest Briefly and Serve
Remove both sausages from the grill at the same time and rest on a wooden board for 3 to 4 minutes. Short rest for a small cut but important. The juices in a freshly grilled sausage are under pressure from the heat. A brief rest lets them settle so the first bite does not send juice across the table.
Serve both sausages together, side by side on the board. Rookworst with Dutch yellow mustard and caramelised onions in a soft roll. Chorizo criollo with chimichurri and crusty bread. Let your guests try both and make their own comparisons.
Pro Tips
Do not pierce the sausages before grilling. This is the most common mistake and it ruins both types. The fat inside the casing is what keeps a sausage moist and flavourful during the cook. Piercing it lets everything out. Leave the casings intact.
Source good chorizo criollo. The quality of fresh chorizo criollo varies significantly depending on where you buy it. Argentine delicatessens in Amsterdam and Rotterdam are the best source. Spanish chorizo is a different product entirely. What you want is the fresh, raw, paprika-heavy Argentine style, not the cured red Spanish version.
Buy butcher rookworst. Supermarket rookworst is fine but butcher rookworst is noticeably better. The meat quality is higher, the smoking is more careful, and the casing holds up much better on an open fire.
The caramelised onions are not optional. They take 15 minutes and they transform the whole plate. Do them on the Carbon Steel Griddle alongside the sausages rather than as a separate step and the timing takes care of itself.
What to Serve With It
Dutch yellow mustard for the rookworst. Zaanse Mosterd is the classic choice. The sharpness and slight sweetness of Zaanse mustard is a perfect match for the smoky, spiced flavour of grilled rookworst.
Chimichurri for the chorizo criollo. Fresh parsley, garlic, oregano, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. The bright acidity of the sauce cuts through the fatty richness of the fresh pork sausage. (See our chimichurri recipe on the Omberg blog)
Caramelised onions work alongside both. They belong on the plate regardless of which sausage you are eating.
Crusty Dutch bread or soft white rolls. Simple, fresh, and exactly right for a sausage cooked this well.
Pickles on the side. Cornichons or Dutch augurken give a sharp, acidic contrast to the richness of the grilled meat.
Drink Pairings
This is a relaxed, casual cook. The drinks should match.
Dutch Jenever as an aperitif. A small glass of young Jenever before the sausages are ready is deeply Dutch and genuinely good. The mild grain spirit and the smell of something grilling over fire is one of those combinations that belongs together.
Beer, first choice: A cold Hertog Jan pilsner alongside Dutch grilled sausage is simply correct. Clean, cold, refreshing, and locally relevant. Hertog Jan is widely available across the Netherlands and is a much better beer than its price suggests.
Beer, interesting option: A Belgian Witbier like Hoegaarden alongside chorizo criollo is a surprisingly good pairing. The coriander and orange peel in the Witbier echo the paprika and garlic of the chorizo beautifully.
White wine for those who prefer it: A dry Argentine Torrontés is an unusual and excellent choice. The floral, slightly aromatic character of Torrontés from the Cafayate valley in Salta province works very well alongside spiced pork. Not widely known in the Netherlands yet, which makes it a conversation starter when you pour it.
The Cultural Story
Sausage on fire is one of the oldest forms of cooking in the world. Every culture that has kept animals has found a way to preserve, spice, and cook their meat in a casing over an open flame.
Dutch rookworst came from centuries of butchery tradition in the Netherlands, where smoking was both a preservation method and a flavour choice. The cold Dutch climate and the practical nature of Dutch food culture shaped it into something simple, honest, and immediately satisfying.
Argentine chorizo criollo came from the gaucho tradition of the pampas, where cattle herders needed food that was quick to make, easy to carry, and good over a fire. The seasoning is minimal because the meat is the point. The fire does the rest.
What connects them across 11,000 kilometres is the fire itself. Both sausages are at their best when cooked over real hardwood charcoal on an open grill. Neither truly benefits from a gas flame or an oven. Both reward the cook who lights a proper fire and pays attention.
The Omberg Asado Gaucho 1200 is the fire they both deserve. Wide enough to run both simultaneously, precise enough to manage different heat zones, and built to last through years of exactly this kind of cooking.
FAQ
Where can I buy chorizo criollo in the Netherlands?
The best sources are Argentine or South American delicatessens, which you will find in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague. Spanish specialty food shops sometimes carry a version though Argentine-style is what you want for this recipe. Several online butchers and specialty meat suppliers in the Netherlands now carry it as well. Search for "Argentine chorizo" or "verse chorizo" online for delivery options.
Can I use Spanish chorizo instead of Argentine chorizo criollo?
Not for this recipe. Spanish chorizo is a cured, already-cooked product. Argentine chorizo criollo is fresh and raw. The cooking method, flavour profile, and texture are completely different. Spanish chorizo on the grill will work but it is a different dish. For the comparison this recipe is built around, you need the authentic Argentine fresh version.
How do I stop the sausage skin from splitting on the grill?
Two things cause skins to split. The fire is too hot, or the sausage went from the refrigerator directly onto the fire without coming to room temperature first. Take both sausages out 20 minutes before cooking. Cook over moderate rather than high heat. Turn regularly. The skin should colour gradually rather than blister from intense direct heat.
Can I cook this recipe on the Omberg Built-In 1200?
Yes. The Asado Gaucho 1200 Built-In is ideal for this recipe. The wide surface lets you manage both sausages at different heat zones simultaneously with the Carbon Steel Griddle running alongside for the onions.
What is the difference between Dutch mustard and French Dijon for this recipe?
Dutch mustard, particularly Zaanse Mosterd, is milder and slightly sweeter than Dijon. It has a coarser texture and a more rounded flavour that pairs naturally with smoked Dutch rookworst. Dijon is sharper and more aggressive. Both work but for an authentic Dutch serving experience, Dutch mustard is the right choice alongside rookworst.
The Best Start to Any Asado
Sausages on the fire are where every great asado begins. They cook fast, they smell incredible, and they give everyone around the grill something to eat while the bigger cuts take their time.
The Omberg Asado Gaucho 1200 gives you 120 cm of cooking surface, genuine heat zone management, and the open-fire design that makes both rookworst and chorizo criollo taste the way they were always meant to.
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