Deli-Counter Sausage Rolls
Rollóg ispíní·(roh-lohg ish-pee-nee)
The Proper Start: Morning Frys and Daily Oats
If you have ever ducked out of the Irish rain into a local convenience store, you know the legendary smell of the hot deli counter as the guy behind the deli glass slides a grease-spotted paper bag forward before your change is even out. By doctoring up standard ground pork with absorbent panko breadcrumbs and a crucial hit of mace, you reproduce that bite, built on the brilliant pairing of butcher's rusk and warm baking spices. Wrap the pork in supermarket puff pastry, bake until the seams shatter, and eat it standing up.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the rendering pork fat from cementing the pastry to the pan.
Ingredients
- ground pork1 lb
- panko breadcrumbs1/2 cup
- large egg1 large
- fine sea salt1 tsp
- ground mace1/2 tsp
- ground white pepper1/2 tsp
- onion powder1/2 tsp
- ground sage1/4 tsp
- puff pastry17 oz
- large egg1 large
- milk1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Combine the ground pork, panko, beaten egg, salt, mace, white pepper, onion powder, and sage in a large bowl.
Get your hands in there and mix vigorously for a minute or two until the meat turns sticky and tacky; this essential agitation extracts the proteins, ensuring the sausage bounces rather than crumbles when you bite it.
- 02
Prepare the thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface.
Gently roll out the two sheets just enough to smooth the creases, then cut each sheet in half lengthwise to yield four long strips.
- 03
Shape the meat into four equal logs and arrange them down the center of each pastry strip.
Brush one long edge of the pastry with the egg wash, fold the opposite side over the meat to enclose it, and press down to seal before rolling the log seam-side down and flattening it slightly.
- 04
Cut each of the four logs in half to create eight large deli-style rolls and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops generously with egg wash for that classic lacquered shine, and score three or four shallow diagonal slits across each roll so the rendering pork fat can vent steam.
- 05
Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is deeply golden-brown and the pork reaches 160°F.
Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and practice the distinctively Irish virtue of patience; let them cool for at least ten minutes so the molten fat settles and doesn't take the roof off your mouth.
Notes
Sourcing the right pork is critical.
Standard grocery store ground pork, which naturally hovers around 20 to 25 percent fat, is perfect; strictly avoid lean pork or pre-seasoned American breakfast sausages, as the heavy sage and fennel profiles will ruin the authentic flavor.
Do not skip the ground mace.
Mace is the definitive flavor of an authentic Irish sausage roll; if you absolutely cannot find it, substitute an equal amount of ground nutmeg, though mace is heavily preferred.
From Cook Irish-American Food.