# Adding Flavour to Sausage Roll FIlling



## lauramc (Aug 17, 2013)

Hi 

This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm not a pro. I do enjoy cooking and every week I try to make something new that I've never tried before. My partner has a sausage roll addiction and eats tons of the type you buy frozen from costco and that are no doubt filled with horrible preservatives etc. This week I decided to try to make him sausage rolls from scratch. I found some recipes online and gave them a whirl. The pastry has come out beautifully on two batches, but the filling has been giving me trouble. The first batch I followed the recipe adding salt, pepper, and it seemed like every spice in my cupboard. They were pretty much tasteless. The second batch I added my own ideas, with Worchestershire sauce, a little dijob and some chilli flakes etc. and did so in seemingly huge quantities. They came out with a little more flavour, but not much. This is dissapointing as I'd like them to have a lot of flavour and hopefully convert my partner to the home made version. 

I have also come to the conclusion that giving recipes that have ground beef in them real flavour has always been a challenge. Cottage/shepard pie is another one where I feel it comes up low on flavour. 

My question: can anyone suggest some ways that you can add real "Bang" to a ground beef filling like sausage rolls, but also things like cottage pies etc. that use ground beef? What do you do to give ground beef dishes big taste? Is there a trade secret? 

Thanks. I appreciate the help.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Aloha Laura, welcome to Chef Talk.

I hope that you don't mind, but I moved your thread over to the Food & Cooking forum, where you can get a larger audience than in the Feedback & Suggestion forum.

Maybe you could share with us the recipe that you used and we can all go from there.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

The difference may be in the basic sausagemeat. I don't think UK sausagemeat, which is used in our sausage rolls, tastes the same as, for instance, the stuff I've eaten in Australia. I suspect that your phonetic spelling of Worcester sauce maymean you're from the US. Here, in the place of origin, it's pronouned 'Wooster'! 

My butcher makes wonderful pork sausage meat, which I use in sausage rolls and stuffing meat for turkey and chicken. Although he won't divulge his recipe, it has lots of ground pepper, mace and a a couple of other spices.


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Laura, Ishbel brings up a great point... Ground pork is wonderful as a filling meat. I've never tried Costco's sausage rolls before. What about trying ground dark meat chicken or turkey instead of beef?


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## lauramc (Aug 17, 2013)

I see what you're saying... the meat may be the issue. I am thinking that if I up the quality of the meat, I may experience some improvement in the flavour. Perhaps spice alone cannot solve this issue. 

Thanks for the advice! 

As a side note, not from the US but not from the UK either. You got me there. I did accidently add an "h" to the spelling of Worcestershire sauce, however, that is what it is called is it not? That's what's on the bottle anyway!


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Laura, couldyoushare your recipe?


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

THE BEST SUGGESTION I CAN GIVE YOU IS TO USE ALL FRESH HERBS AND SPICES. LIKE OREGANO, THYME, BASIL,AND ON AND ON. BROUND BEEF CAN TAKE A LOT OF HERBS AND SPICES SO DON'T BE SCARED, GOOD GRATED CHEESE IS ALSO A PLUS. WHEN YOU START WITH QUALITY YOU WIND UP WITH QUALITY. GOOD LUCK

GROUND SAUSAGE, GROUND BEEF HOT PEPPER FLAKES, OREGANO TYHME,BASIL, CHEESE, DICED TOMATOES, SALT PEPPER GARLIC,CHOPPED SHALLOT  NUTMEG, PARSLEY ADD 1 OR 2 RAW EGGS MIX AND SPREADD OVER DOUGH EGG WASH THEN BAKE  & ENJOY


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## bughut (Aug 18, 2007)

Generally sausage rolls = pork sausage meat. Thats not to say beef is a no-no. I can offer some ideas i used when i had my catering business, for instance :-

Sprinkle chopped spring onions over the pastry before adding the meat

Spread the pastry with dijon mustard   "    "      "

 "     "    "   "     " A rich tomato sauce    "    "

Once you have egg washed the sausage rolls, sprinkle with sesame and pumpkin seeds and press them in or they will fall off during cooking. They add texture and taste.

Whatever you do, sprinkle the end result lightly with salt before cooking

Or as soon as they come out of the oven, dust with a mix of salt, paprika and black pepper


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Are you browning the meat first, then draining off excess fat?  The fat can carry a lot of the seasoning away.

mjb.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

LauraMc said:


> As a side note, not from the US but not from the UK either. You got me there. I did accidently add an "h" to the spelling of Worcestershire sauce, however, that is what it is called is it not? That's what's on the bottle anyway!


Yes, it's called Worcestershire sauce. Lea and Perrins are based in the town of Worcester in Worcestershire, so many people here use the truncated Worcester. Many foreigners pronounce it phonetically as in Wore Sester shire or Wore chester shire. We just like to confuse, I think
For instance names like cholmondleigh (Pronounced chum lee)' and Featherstonehaugh (Fan shaw) are just evil!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Ishbel said:


> I suspect that your phonetic spelling of Worcester sauce maymean you're from the US. Here, in the place of origin, it's pronouned 'Wooster'! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif


Around here we call it "Woorshtershire" yes we do.

I don't know what a "sausage roll" is but I do know that whenever I make sausage if I don't add FENNEL SEEDS it doesn't taste like sausage to me. Other key ingredients are garlic, pepper, chili flake, and perhaps sage.

You want to make sure you're getting pork from the shoulder (also known as pork butt) that has a good amount of fat. When you sear the ground meat make sure that all the watery juices cook off before adding any of the spices. My mom calls this "drinking its own juices"


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

When was the last time you replaced your spices and (dried) herbs?

Sometimes the aroma will still be there but the flavor will be long gone.

mimi


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Here in states fennel is only used in Italian style sausage, unfortunately  they sometime add to much. Sausage rolls are much like Strombolli  or a jelly roll type dough roll around a sausage filling.


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

In the uk,sausage rolls are made with raw pork sausagemeat.


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## everydaygourmet (Apr 4, 2012)

Agree with Ishbel, the quality of the meat (and well all the ingredients for that matter) including fat content is crucial to the end product. This IMO is especially true with ground meat recipes, you can't sauce your way out of a bad hot dog! 

Absolutely love using wild fennel pollen for both beef and pork, sparingly though, also let the flavors set up for a couple of hours to overnight.

Cheers!

EDG


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

Koukouvagia said:


> Around here we call it "Woorshtershire" yes we do.
> 
> I don't know what a "sausage roll" is but I do know that whenever I make sausage if I don't add FENNEL SEEDS it doesn't taste like sausage to me. Other key ingredients are garlic, pepper, chili flake, and perhaps sage.
> 
> You want to make sure you're getting pork from the shoulder (also known as pork butt) that has a good amount of fat. When you sear the ground meat make sure that all the watery juices cook off before adding any of the spices. My mom calls this "drinking its own juices"


KK

I seem to recall you are a fan of Jamie Oliver's recipes? Here's a link to his sausage roll recipe. Personally, they are a bit mingey IMO!

http://jamieshomecookingskills.com/recipe.php?title=sausage-rolls-1


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Ishbel, thanks for the link.  I love JO, I don't love everything he makes though.  Thanks for the warning.

I learned a new scottish slang, this one's about my son!  He's 'chucking a stoonie' right now. (how's that??)


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## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I forgot to say.. The word is minj ee, ie very small!

Haven't heard stoonie for a looong time, but so many Scots words are very descriptive


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## bdoyl92 (Mar 30, 2016)

* hello i suggest a spicey one or a herb and garlic one *


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