Chipotle Pork Sausage Rolls with Cognac BBQ Sauce

For some reason the good old “rat coffin” has, in many circles, been deemed a bit pedestrian; the foodstuff of bogans wolfed down on suburban street corners, or the carrier of tomato sauce at birthday parties for those under four foot.  But I’d like to advise an amendment. It’s time to move over sandwich. You may be meat between bread but an s.roll is meat lovingly embraced by pastry. Isn’t that just unstoppable?

I decided to take this genius to new heights of tasty for my  Daily Life post this week by combining the wood chipped heathen goodness of cognac with the smoky delights of chipotle; making this version either the perfect warm up with cocktails, or as I prefer it, the main event. Seriously these were inhaled in my household the moment they came out of the oven.

The bbq sauce can be made ahead and stored for a few weeks in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. Like bacon it seems to make everything taste better.

Slather it on anything and everything from your breakfast eggs to your lunchtime ham sandwich.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 red onion, peeled, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

Salt and pepper to season

500g pork mince

2 dried chipotle chillies, softened in water, finely chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

1 egg

1 sheet puff pastry

Egg wash

1 egg + 1 tbsp milk lightly whisked together.

Cognac BBQ Sauce

250g plum jam

2 heaped tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ cup tomato passata

1 tsp smoked sweet paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp cognac

Salt and pepper to season

Method

For the bbq sauce, add all ingredients to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until thickened. Allow to cool.  Place in a sterile screw top jar and store in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Place a fry pan over high heat. Add a lug of olive oil and cook the onion and garlic until softened and fragrant. Remove from heat and add to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool. Add the mince, chipotle, coriander and egg to the bowl. Using your hands mix the ingredients in the bowl, quite forcefully until completely combined.

Cut the sheet of pastry into six rectangles. Place the pork mince down the length of a piece of pastry and roll the pastry tightly to secure, pressing down the edge of pastry to seal.  Repeat with remaining mixture and pastry.

Place the sausage rolls, sealed side down on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush over the egg wash then cook in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until brown and crisp, and cooked through. Serve hot with the bbq sauce.