Getting ready to make Rissoles

Love Rissoles – a tempting tasty treat for any meal

Rissoles are a tempting tasty treat. A traditional Rissole recipe using minced pork and common cupboard components for you to make and enjoy. Great as a light lunch or main meal option.

Take me to the recipe! Let’s miss out on the life story.

Pork Rissoles – a dish for any season.

On random occasions, my dad’s mum (my gran – Paternal Grandmother) made these wonderful objects for dinner. (Or lunch as you will – the meal in the middle of the day). Superbly tasty, easy to make, economical, and fantastic. They can be part of a healthy hearty dinner. Served with Greens, carrots, peas, and other sorts of seasonal veg. Alternatively, they can be a brown food delight served with Eggs chips and beans. Delicious.

Controversial ingredients.

Even Wikipedia cannot define a rissole, although these are definitely not pastry-covered. They are probably closest related to the Australian rissole or the Yorkshire Rissole. I think the description for the Australian Rissole is the best, as I suspect that it was a way of making the meat ration go further, thus enabling either leftover to become another hearty meal. Or more likely in real times of need, a meagre portion of mince to be the star of a Sunday Roast.

Apart from the chopping and cooking of the onions, this can be a great recipe to prepare with kids. It’s fun, messy, not scientific in measurements, and the results are delicious.

The list of ingredients is a guide, and should not be taken too seriously. Develop your own “Family Recipe” to hand down to the next generation.

Pork Rissoles served with lettuce, avocado and potato salad
Rissoles with Salad

It would seem that there is very little agreement on what goes into a rissole. The agreement is that they have bread crumbs on the outside and are fried. Another commonality is that they may employ left-over items from previous meals, so can be an economical option.

A quick straw poll over a pint at the local revealed that a few had not heard of these delights. Beef and lamb were frequently listed as ingredients, some claimed that potatoes were employed. An agreement was reached that often they contained whatever needed using up.

I think I will declare this version as the Nottingham Rissole in memory of my Gran.

Vegetarian Version

I have tried making rissoles with Quorn Mince, and it works rather well. This is because the texture is good and because the herbs give the flavour.

The recipe might also work with TVP, however, if it is dried TVP, getting the water content right might take a bit of work. Consider using cooked red lentils or similar as a protein source.

The Recipe – Pork Rissoles

Ingredients

400 – 500g Minced high welfare pork

1 medium/large onion

Oats

Sage and onion stuffing mix/breadcrumbs

1 large free-range eggs

Herbs: fresh sage is the best, also add thyme, parsley or Origano-dried works too

Golden breadcrumbs

Oil for cooking

Equipment

Frying pan

Mixing bowl

Preparation

Chop onions

Cooking

Add a splash of oil to a frying pan, add onions and cook on medium heat. Cook until softened, don’t worry if they start to brown, just try not to caramelise the lot.

Place the mince in a bowl and add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. If the onions have cooled (lukewarm) crack in the egg, if not give it a stir to mix the pork and onion, then add the egg. Give it a good stir to mix well.

Add the porridge oats and Stuffing mix. The amount is about equivalent to the volume of pork that was added (do not use the equivalent of weight, or you will get pork porridge), about 60% stuffing to 40% oats. This does not need to be accurate – you can make fewer rissoles by adding less or making it go a bit further by adding a bit more. Add extra herbs to taste, especially if using breadcrumbs.

Pour in some warm water – not hot, you do not want to set the egg, nor encourage any nasties that might be thinking about bothering the meat content. Start with a good cupful, give it a good brisk stir to incorporate. If the mix is still dry, keep adding water and string until the mixture is reasonably mobile, but not sloppy, like a good mash.

Now leave it alone for a while. 20 minutes is fine, or leave overnight in the fridge if it is for the next day. The Oats and Stuffing mix (or breadcrumbs) will continue to absorb the moisture and stiffen the mixture.

Time to make the rissoles. The number and size are up to luck or judgement. The above recipe will make about 8. Many recipes go for the full flour/egg/crumb faff to make the outside. It is lovely – however, it’s a faff and I’m lazy.

Place a good quantity of breadcrumbs in a bowl: Stuffing mix can work very well too. Get a greased or lined baking sheet ready.

Wash your hands, as we’re them getting into the mix. Using a spoon, scoop out some mix: a very generously piled dessert spoon or a slightly miserly tablespoon should get you in the right direction. Use your wet hands to shape into a ball. Patting the ball into shape and then starting to flatten the mix – we are looking for a thick beefburger type shape.

Place the newly formed rissole onto the breadcrumbs and ensure it’s coated well. Give it a bit of a pat to ensure good crumb coverage. Place on tray.

Repeat until complete. Chill for a while in a fridge if possible.

If you want to freeze for use at a later date, wrap individually in cooking foil. lightly oil the foil, wrap and freeze.

To cook fresh, place in an oiled frying pan on medium-low heat. Too high and the outside will burn before the inside is completely cooked. Place the lid on the pan to create a Dutch oven-type effect to promote more even cooking. If you do not have a lid, add a little boiling water at a time during the cooking process: this helps maintain moisture, aids the transfer of heat and prevents charring. Cooking time of about 30 minutes: check to ensure cooked through before serving.

To cook from frozen, just place in an oven at 180C 355F (@160C 320F Fan) for about 45 minutes. Again, check to ensure that they are cooked through. Alternatively, defrost thoroughly overnight in a fridge and cook as fresh.

Serving suggestion

As a tasty “Brown food treat”, they go very well with eggs, chips and beans.

Serve with Salad for a lighter lunch option.

However, I think they go very well with some nice mashed potatoes a good selection of Seasonal Vegetables and some gravy. As I previously declared this the Nottingham Rissole, I would also strongly suggest a good dollop of mushy peas.

What do you think?

Tried making a vegetarian version? Tried a version using beef or leftovers?

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