We would always advocate adding the rusk dry to the mix . First mince the meat, then add the seasonings and mix in half of the water, continue to mix while gradually adding the rest of the water. Finally , once the mix is ready add the dry rusk or bread crumbs. Any remaining moisture will then be absorbed by the rusk. Doing it this way allows the action of the salt and water to change the structure of the meat and for the meat to retain some of the water. The rusk absorbs the remaining water and you end up with a much more succulent sausage that retains the moisture and dosen't leak the water either in the bag or in the frying pan. One reason why sausages might burst in the pan is that the water has not been mixed properly, hence it turns to steam and bursts the skin as it escapes. Hence the term 'banger'.
Yes. We stock the Organic Bread Crumbs which are made with organic ingredients by Ripn Select Foods in North Yorkshire. We also have their regular Bread Crumbs which many sausage makers prefer. Both products are essentially normal bread that has been dried and ground to a consistent size. The crumb is bigger than the Rusk .
Yes. There are several grades depending on how fine the unleavened bread has been ground. There is Coarse, Medium, Pin-Head, and Super-Fine. The Rusk we sell is that most commonly used for sausage production, that is Pin-Head, which means literally that the crumb is the size of a pins-head ! We stock all the grades of Rusk and these can be obtained by phoning the office.
Yeastless Rusk is simply unleavened bread that has been baked and dried before being ground into a fine crumb. You can also use regular breadcrumbs but using Rusk gives a good and consistent texture to the sausage, it also retains the moisture within the sausage better than breadcrumbs giving you a more succulent sausage, and finally because it is yeastless it gives the sausage a longer shelf-life.
