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Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 11:18 pm
by EDoubleD
New to the forum and sausage making. I have a plentiful supply of rabbit and other game, recently I've been making pheasant sausage rolls etc and want to branch out in to sausages. I feel like quite a lot of people I know would have some to eat and so it's a great way of ensuring game is eaten (which is very important to me!)

I'm thinking of starting off with rabbit and have found various recipes online but none of them mention rusk or stabiliser. As game can be quite dry due to the lack of fat I'm guessing I definitely need rusk? But i have no idea where to start! Can anyone help with pointing me towards some recipes or posts explaining the principles of balancing rusk/fat/meat?

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 12:21 pm
by NCPaul
Welcome to the forum! :D Rusk does not replace fat. It does help a sausage retain moisture and it changes the texture. I have never worked with rabbit so I would be interested in hearing of your efforts.

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 10:25 pm
by wheels
Assuming that you're not using game for religious reasons I would add pork fat in some form to make up for the lack of it in the rabbit. Have a play with the search facility - top right - maybe base your sausage on one of the game ones on here, or even on a chicken recipe.

This one would be a good starting point, it has cream, presumably to make up for the lack of fat:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=13146&hilit=pheasant

Forum member Tristar also has some recipes on his superb blog:

http://nungkysman.wordpress.com/2007/02 ... t-sausage/

http://nungkysman.wordpress.com/2007/02 ... t-sausage/

http://nungkysman.wordpress.com/2006/08 ... -portugal/

HTH

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 11:29 pm
by EDoubleD
Nothing to do with religious reasons....it's just free meat!

I did find those but having read other posts it seems that rusk/pork fat are very important to get the right sausage. Why don't any of these receipes use rusk to make sure it's not dry etc?

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Sun Feb 11, 2018 8:50 pm
by EDoubleD
can anyone help with rusk/fat/game meat percentage mixes?

I'm thinking something like 35% Pork Belly, Rabbit 45%, 2.5% Seasoning, 6.5% Rusk, 11% Water. You think this will be enough to counter the almost total lack of fat on the rabbit and keep some moisture in the sausage?

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:27 am
by wheels
Personally, I'd make one of Tristar's recipes. He knows his stuff. However, if your making your own recipe, I'd go with a little less Belly and a little more rabbit - but that all depends on the fat in the belly. I'd alter the ratio of water to rusk to 1.5:1 if home-made or 2:1 if commercial.

HTH

phil

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 1:25 pm
by EDoubleD
wheels wrote:Personally, I'd make one of Tristar's recipes. He knows his stuff. However, if your making your own recipe, I'd go with a little less Belly and a little more rabbit - but that all depends on the fat in the belly. I'd alter the ratio of water to rusk to 1.5:1 if home-made or 2:1 if commercial.

HTH

phil


Will definitely try the herby one I was mainly curious as to why it doesn't include rusk/fat and makes reference to the potential for it being a bit dry. Everything I've read so far says that rusk and fat are some of the most important elements?

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 4:44 pm
by wheels
I fear that the herby one will be the most prone to being dry. Maybe add some pork back-fat. You are correct in the fact that fat, or a replacement for fat, are important.

Rusk is almost solely used in British bangers and is not needed to make a good sausage - it's original use was due to shortage of meat, and we grew to like it.

It can cover a multitude of sins that it's omission would highlight, but good practice is to make sausage that would be good without it and just add it to 'gild the lily'.

What is essential to avoid dry sausage is to develop the myosin in the meat by mixing well after adding the salt, or to add the salt the night before grinding. You need to see a change in texture from particles of mince to a sticky paste of sausagemeat.

HTH

Phil

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Thu Feb 15, 2018 8:40 pm
by EDoubleD
wheels wrote:
What is essential to avoid dry sausage is to develop the myosin in the meat by mixing well after adding the salt, or to add the salt the night before grinding. You need to see a change in texture from particles of mince to a sticky paste of sausagemeat.

HTH

Phil


When you say add salt the night before grinding do you mean when the meat is cubed? So where a recipe asks for 1.3kg of cubed rabbit but only 1 ts (I presume this is a typo does it mean tbs or tsp?

Recipe link

I guess you mean mix it into the cubed as evenly as is possible then leave that in the fridge overnight?

Sorry for all the questions and thanks for the all the help BTW!

Re: Rabbit, rusk questions

PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 11:32 am
by NCPaul
Yes mix with the cubed meat the night before. The salt amount does have a typo (probably meant tbs); if you can weight the salt, that would be best. I would use 15-17 g salt in that recipe for that amount of rabbit.