The best homemade beef sausage roll

 Makes:  24

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 180g good quality stale bread, crust removed and diced
• 2 tablespoons milk or water
• 800g rump steak with fat attached, cut into large cubes
• 100g bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled streaky smoked and quartered
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 sheets puff pastry, just thawed
• 1 beaten egg or Milk for glazing
• Poppy seeds, sesame seeds or nigella seeds (optional)

Method

1. Combine bread and milk in a bowl and mix well; allow bread to soak up milk and soften.
2. Attach the food grinder to the stand mixer with the course grinding plate and turn to speed 6. Place mixing bowl underneath grinder.
3. In batches, feed the beef, bacon and soaked bread, onion, garlic and carrot into the hopper.
4. Remove grinder and attach the flat beater, add balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and salt. Mix mixture on speed 6 for 2 minutes or until sticky and very well combined.
5. Preheat oven 200C (fan forced) and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
6. Cut one sheet of pastry in half and place onto bench the longest edge closest to you.
7. Using damp hands, measure out 160g of meat filling and form into a sausage shape. Arrange along the long edge. Brush the opposite long edge with milk. Roll up to enclose meat and press to secure. Make sure the seam is on the bottom of the roll.
8. Cut rolls into four and place onto prepared tray. Brush with milk and sprinkle over sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining meat and pastry.
9. Bake 15 minutes; swap trays over and cook for a further 7-10 minutes or until pastry is golden and meat cooked through. Serve warm with tomato sauce or tomato relish.

Tip

Smoky streaky bacon will give the sausage mixture a great smoked flavour.

Keep the fat on the meat as this will make the mince more tender.

To make larger sausage rolls, cut roll into into 2 and cook for 20-25 minutes

Place uncooked sausage rolls into an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook from frozen and add an extra 5 minute to cooking time