What is rusk?

[Ma]

Hello all, just a small question.What exactly is rusk? Anybody....no...rusk!? Anyone......?!

[sausagemaker]

Hi Ma

Rusk is a filler used in sausage production
It is a yeastless biscuit that soaks up water at the rate of two to one, please do not confuse this with the children's teething biscuit.

Regards
Sausagemaker

[dougal]

Stodge!
Basically like dried breadcrumbs.
Bulks out the sausage, holding water and fat, and acts as a binder.
One of the things that 'distinguishes' British sausages.

Here's an old thread with some recipes to make your own
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=135

[Ma]

Thanks SM, does that mean mostly wheat flour then? I've been making sausages for a year or so now and friend s ask me exactly what i put in them, so far I've used either dried breadcrumbs or pulverised crispbreads both successfully.

[sausagemaker]

Hi Ma

Yes its made from wheat flour, water & salt mainly, pulverised crisp bread is a great replacement

Dougal
Rusk does not bind fat

regards
Sausagemaker

[Wohoki]

I've used Ryevita with great success, but I now use commercial pinhead rusk from Scobies. It is neutral in flavour, and holds the meat juices inside the skin, and hence the flavour of the meat. If you are making a course mix then 5% is enough, but never use more than 10% (unless you want to make chippie bangers.....oops )

It isn't essential, but it helps produce a good tongue feel and retains a good flavour. Try stuffing with and without, do a blind test on friends and family and decide based on results. That's what I did.

Rusk in Brittish sausages is not about "filler" or bulk, it's about making something you like to eat. 5% is a trivial amount of cereal, but it makes for a good country sausage.

[dougal]

Dougal
Rusk does not bind fat

I don't believe that is what I actually said.

Should I have just referred to it as being a "filler"?

While a reasonable proportion of rusk (10%?) certainly does characterise the British style of sausage, I'm no fan of those "Pork" sausages that contain the minimum 42% meat, and hence 58% of other stuff, of which a large amount would typically be rusk.
No wonder the US FSIS can refer to "Bangers: A sausage-like product prepared with meat and varying amounts of rusk or other cereals."
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/larc/Pol ... 2005_1.pdf

I hope Ma finds the recipes for rusk helpful.

[Wohoki]

Commercially, I believe, a sausage has to be at least 60% pig meat before it can be sold as "pork", otherwise it has to be just "sausage".

& none of us are fans of cheap snags (except as a guilty secret ) : that's why we're here. It's all about personal taste.

[dougal]

Commercially, I believe, a sausage has to be at least 60% pig meat before it can be sold as "pork", otherwise it has to be just "sausage".

I think its changed...

The �meat� content amounts for reserved descriptions have changed, e.g. under the old regulations a pork sausage had to contain at least 65% meat. The new rules, using the new �meat� definition, require 42% meat for the name �pork sausage� to be used.

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/Suffolk_ ... _notes.pdf

Which is why I used the precise figure of 42% in my previous post...

[Wohoki]

Yuck. So much for a decent banger from the chip shop then, or a sausage roll with less wheat in the meat than in the pastry.

[Lee]

As an additional bit of info (and/or confusion ) I think for a meat to be delared as meat in an ingredients declaration, it must contain the same ratio of protein/fat/connective tissue as the origonal animal (believe it or not), so a sausage that states that is 65% pork, is not necessarily 35% "others", it could be another 20% of pork fat, and 15% "others", if you see what I mean .
I would guess (havn't checked, so don't hold me to this) that if you look at some of the quality recipes on this site, legally many of our sausages could only legally declare around 60-70% pork as well.
Having said that, still wouldn't want a cheapo sausage

[sausagemaker]

Hi all
Just to set the record straight please see below the new minimum meats required for sausage & burgers, this is the main area that I work in.

One further thing worth a mention is that the 42% etc refers to lean meat only you cannot count any attached fat or skin.
This is rather like saying when you buy a ready to roast chicken it's 100% meat is it it not?
Not according to the new rules as we cannot count the bones, skin or fat attached so therefore the chicken is more likely to be 47% meat - strange but true

NEW LEGAL MIN MEAT REQUIREMENTS (The Meat Products (England) Regulations 2003)
Sausage Pork 42% - Economy Pork 32% Rabbit or bird or mixture of the two 26% - mixtures or other meats 30% - If Cured meats are used then they must be declared and quided.
Burgers Beef 67% - Rabbit or bird or mixture of the two 55% - Cured meat or mixtures 62% Economy Burgers 50%, 41% & 47% respectively

Hope this helps
Sausagemaker

[saucisson]

Economy Pork 32% that is scary, interesting but scary. Also interesting that rabbit or bird is even lower, any idea as to the rationale behind that?

Dave

[Lee]

Fresh from the FSA website, meat does include fat and connective tissue up to an allowable maximum (the natural ratio I referred to earlier).
To be called a Pork sausage, the sausage needs to contain the minimum 'meat' descibed two posts back, but this 'meat' can contain 30% fat and 25% connective tissue (in the case of pork).


The new definition defines meat as 'skeletal muscle with naturally included or attached tissue', and sets specific limits for the amount of fat and connective tissue (i.e., rind, tendon, sinew, skin etc.) allowed (see table below).

The definition specifically excludes MRM, feet and trotters, tail, and head meat but includes cheeks (masseters). It also excludes non-muscle cuts such as liver, kidney, heart etc.

Products are still allowed to contain all of these ingredients - they will just need to be described differently, and they cannot count towards the declared meat content.

Pork Birds and Rabbits Beef, Lamb and other species
Fat: 30% 15% 25%
Connective tissue: 25% 10% 25%

Throughout this Guidance, the phrase 'EC meat' is used to mean 'meat according to the new European definition'.

[dougal]

... this is the main area that I work in.
... One further thing worth a mention is that the 42% etc refers to lean meat only you cannot count any attached fat or skin.
This is rather like saying when you buy a ready to roast chicken it's 100% meat is it it not? ... according to the new rules as we cannot count the bones, skin or fat attached so therefore the chicken is more likely to be 47% meat - strange but true
...

However, the Trading Standards PDF I linked above does specifically state

�Meat� is now only skeletal muscle with the naturally adherant or included fat and connective tissue.

Which I interpret as meaning that Belly Pork, fatty as you like, is "100% meat".
On the other hand

Ingredients such as the heart, tongue, head muscles, carpus muscles, tarsus, tail or any mechanically recovered meat, do not count towards the �meat� content.
If they are used, they must be declared separately, e.g. pork fat.

So when I make a sausage with only belly, shoulder, salt and flavourings - it could still be described as being at least 95% meat. Even if I used a reasonable amount of rusk, I'd still be *double* the legal minimum 'meat' content for a "pork sausage".

I'm not sure there's anything to stop you making and selling "sausages" with less than 30% pork 'meat' - its just that you cannot call them "pork" sausages.
Personally I think calling 42% "meat" a 'pork' sausage is still a bit of a porkie...