Are Rissoles the same as burgers?

Question

During a conversation with the guvenor the other night i said whatever happened to Rissoles. We used to have them regular for tea during the week years ago. Were they a throwback to the War years ? or are Burgers an Americanisation of Rissoles?. Rissoles are as i remember made with mincedmeat and onion,same as Burgers. You don't see recipes for them or cooks on telly cooking them.

Answer 1

The only difference between MY burgers and rissoles, is that I use onion AND egg in rissoles and just onion in burger patties. And a dash of salt and pepper. I probably use a bit more meat in a rissole and I don't flatten it too much like a pattie.


The movie 'The Castle' had a scene where the family sits down to a meal of rissoles and vegies.

Answer 2

At our house, (I think) rissoles were made from left over cooked meat which was minced and added to onions, then fried. I could be wrong though. They were tasty!
So no, they aren't the same as burgers, they are made with cooked rather than raw meat.
You should start a campaign to get them back on the menu.

Answer 3

What Neil describes is what we call a croquette.

You use left over meat add some onion and an egg to bind. Form into a sausage shape, roll in egg wash and bread crumbs and deep fry.
Wrap in a slice of buttered bread.

We used to eat them nearly every Sunday night, as kids, after having the roast mutton leg at lunch time.
I still make them from time to time, 40 years later.

A meat ball here is normally raw mince mixed up with onion, herbs etc rolled into the size of a golf ball. A Rissole would be about the size of 2 meat balls combined and formed into rough rounds and flattened to about an 1"
A hamburger would be flattened down to about 3/8th"

Answer 4

Being a former chef and having an extensive backgorund in traditional English cookery, my family is a mix of Irish/Scottish and English, rissoles would be closer to a meatball over here, now a days we have ready made and cooked one's at the grocery shops.

I remember when apprenticing we made faggots, and recently I saw an old British commercial for a pre-package brand in gravy, I regularly purchase a tinned meatball in gravy.

I also remember an episode of "Are You Being Served" were they were going to erect a brass rissole for Mr Rumbolt after taking sick from a tainted merigue. My grandmother who was from Liverpool used to call meatballs, rissoles and I alway wondered why??

Answer 5

I think a rissole is closer to a pastie or meat pie. Not the same as a hamburger.

Answer 6

Yes - and meat balls. Just squash them with the flat of your hand.

Answer 7

no