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The search for the favoured fresh sausage is getting closer. Since starting to make our own about 12 month ago and many batches and different recipes later, omitting the rusk or bread crumb is the shot.

I have been putting in my sausage 10% rusk, as per many recipes and always thinking the texture was not right because I was maybe not mixing right or mincing right. But simply omitting the rusk produced a fantastic texture, meatier, flavousome, succulent sausage.

Using the same recipe I have made before, it's very surprising that just 10% difference in meat content could make so much difference. I would put the batch of Cumberland I made at 96.3% pork (shoulder 85% and belly 15%) 3.3% seasoning.

Personally I can't see me making sausage with crumb or rusk again, regardless of the type.

I prefer all meat it would have started to stretch the meat rations and improve the profits and to stop fat running out on the barbie,but at the expense of meaty taste and texture

I've generally found that rusk or other types of binder were primarily used to economize the sausages. If you don't like the texture or have issues with gluten/wheat then they aren't needed. I've been able to manage the "texture" of the sausage by over/under working the mixture to make it tighter or looser in the casing. At least to my enjoyment

Personally, I never say never. I'll leave the options open - there's a place for both.

Phil

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