The Great Aussie Rissole

Cooking with Rich

2021-07-26T06:15:42+00:00

The Great Aussie Rissole - Cooking With Rich An Aussie rissole is not a burger and is not an oversized meatball. It is a lovingly created meat pattie and uniquely Australian (and maybe New Zealand) at least in this version as it is only red meat based and is not covered in pastry or breadcrumbs as may be suggested in recipes from other countries.

My first exposure to a proper rissole was at a young age with friends whose parents would throw together some minced beef, veg and who knows what else, to make up a basic patty and throw it in a frying pan. It was home cooking, easy to make and the kids loved it. However my recollection is the rissoles were usually bland, dry and, more often than not, burnt. Not exactly a gourmet meal, but when served with mash and some gravy it worked and I do actually have fond memories of rissole dinners with my school mates just before watching something akin to Neighbours.

After doing a little research on the humble rissole it turns out there are a wide variety of versions from around the world, like many humble dishes that owe their foundation to tougher times when families had to make food go further. As I found out the rissole can be based on many a core ingredient, not only minced meat. There are seafood versions in Portugal, potato versions in Ireland, chicken versions in Brazil and Indonesia. Yet I find it hard to consider anything a rissole if it is not based on minced beef or lamb meat and the humbleness of the Aussie rissole is best summed up by Dale Kerrigan in a quintessential Aussie movie The Castle. For a basic overview of rissoles go straight to Wikipedia.

The simple version of a rissole is minced meat, mixed with some old bread, an egg, a few herbs, a grated carrot some salt and pepper and some tomato sauce, not much more than than. My version of an Aussie rissole recipe, like all, is a mix of the basics and then a few little personal touches. Probably not "The Great Aussie Rissole", but I hope a fairly good interpretation of an Aussie favourite. In my world rissoles should be served with mash and veg of your choice, with a little of your favourite gravy, tomato sauce and or BBQ sauce. Leftover rissoles also make a great sandwich filling the next day.

So have a go, let me know.

The Great Aussie Rissole

Preparation: 15 mins | Cooking Time: 15-20 mins + cooling, fridge and resting time total of ~45 mins | Serves: 4-6 adults as main.

Ingredients

1kg beef mince*
100g prosciutto or streaky bacon, finely chopped*
1 egg
1 onion, medium, finely chopped
1 carrot finely grated
1 cup of breadcrumbs*
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (dried is ok)
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (dried is ok)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper

Method

In a small frying pan add onions and garlic and saute for 5 mins until onions start to soften.
Add prosciutto (or alternatives) cook for another 1-2 mins, remove from heat and set aside and allow to cool (~15 mins).
In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix thoroughly until well combined, add salt and pepper to taste (~ 1 tsp salt and maybe 1-2 tsp pepper) place in fridge for 15-20 minutes. At this point you can also wrap in glad wrap and freeze for later use.
When ready to cook, either heat a heavy based pan or start up the BBQ.
Portion out the mixture into roughly 150-155g balls* (approx a tennis ball) and flatten on slightly, as per the image and let rest for about 10 mins. Once made up, you want your rissoles to be close to room temperature, for when you want to start cooking.
If cooking in a stove top pan, do not make the pan too hot, a medium heat is all you need. The rissoles will be a little thick and you want the them to cook all the way through and evenly.*
Place 4 or 5 rissoles in your pan and cook for ~5 mins until you see the meat start to brown through on the sides and develop a nice crust on the bottom.
Turn over and cook for another 5 mins or so. Don't be afraid to test one. The meat should be cooked through - not medium rare in this instance.
When cooked, place in some foil and let rest for 5-10 mins.
Serve with mash, baked potatoes or even pasta. In this version we used a mushroom sauce as a main dish.

*Tips & Alternatives

Lamb mince is a common alternative to beef mince.
The addition of prosciutto or streaky bacon adds both flavour as well as juiciness to the rissole. If these are not suitable inclusions for personal reasons try to have your butcher mince up some well marbled (fatty) beef.
If you prefer, you can use 150g of fatty pork mince as an alternative to prosciutto or bacon. If you do use pork mince there is no need to pre-cook the mince with the onion and garlic, simply combine pork mince with the beef mince.
A common alternative to store bought bread crumbs is to use up stale white bread chopped up, usually with crust off.
During cooking avoid the temptation to press them down and squeeze out the juices. This will only make your rissoles dry. Once in the pan or on the hot plate let them do their thing.
The size of your rissoles it totally up to you. 150g provides a main meal sized rissole once you add the sides. However making them smaller also allows you to have them as a starter or as nibbles during your party/BBQ. If smaller just watch the cooking time, be wary of overcooking as they can become dry quickly.

Travel with Food

Featured Recipes

Easy Mushroom Sauce (for Jägerschnitzel)

Easy Hong Kong Style Steamed Fish