by wheels » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:01 pm
The ratio of breadcrumbs to water is usually 1:1 whereas for rusk it would be between 1.5:1 and 2:1. I use 1.5:1 with homemade rusk, commercially prepared will probably take more.
In altering your recipe I'd look at weight of the total water and breadcrumbs in the existing recipe and work back to give the same weight but with rusk and water. So, for example, if you currently have 10gm crumbs and 10gm water = 20gm this would become 8gm rusk and 12gm water which still = 20gm. That way the spicing etc won't change.
As to texture, you need to mix the (very cold) meat mixture very well to allow the salt in it to develop something called myosin in the meat - this turns, what is, flavoured mince into sausage-meat. The meat will become sticky and even smell slightly different. However, don't go too mad - you can over mix leading to a very tight textured sausage.
HTH
Phil