Home cooks are being urged to stop pricking sausages with a fork before cooking, as it drains the meat of flavour and moisture. Bruce, a butcher from Traymoor, explains that this common practice is unnecessary for high-quality sausages and can ruin their texture and taste.
Historically, sausages were pricked to prevent them from exploding during cooking—a problem that earned them the nickname 'bangers' due to cheap ingredients and low meat content. However, modern sausages with higher meat content do not require this step. Pricking causes the fat inside to leak out, leading to dry, less flavourful sausages that are more prone to burning.
Bruce advises ensuring the casing remains intact to keep sausages firm, juicy, and evenly cooked. Instead, he recommends removing sausages from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking to let them reach room temperature. This helps achieve a golden, crispy skin and prevents the meat from contracting and losing its juices.
Cooking cold sausages can result in burnt exteriors and raw interiors, as the outside cooks too quickly. Allowing them to come to room temperature, a technique also used for steaks, ensures a better texture and richer flavour.
