Knowing how to make rullepolse or ribberulle, the seasoned meat roll, is an essential element to having a proper Scandinavian Christmas feast, at least in our house. Once you are able to get the lamb flank required, the rest of the process can be a fun, family affair.
The first thing we need to do is debone the lamb flank and trim it. We like to do this ourselves, as it is important not to cut through the “fell,” which is the skin-like membrane covering the surface of the meat. If there are holes or cuts in the fell, the inside ingredients pop out. Not to worry too much, as we can sew the holes shut if necessary, but it is best to keep the fell intact. Also, the fell provides a good anchor to which we sew the casing together. All the ribs are removed along with the excess fat. We then trim the edges to “square up” the meat into what looks like a rectangular sheet of flesh and fat, thus becoming the casing for the ribberull.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I believe the origins stem from the fact that back in the “old days,” you did not waste any part of a slaughtered animal. Making ribberull was a way to take an otherwise undesirable part of the lamb, and transform it into something delicious.
Now comes the assembly process. We buy the cheapest cut of pork we can find, usually a pork butt. Cut it into thin slices, trying to remove most of the excess fat as you can. There is enough fat in the lamb flank already, plus we don’t want to cover up any of the lamb flavor obtained from the rendered lamb fat. Then cut up several onions into thin slices. Have plenty of salt and pepper available. The last thing you will need is an upholstery needle, or any needle with a large eye, and some plain cotton string.
We always sit at the kitchen table to do this, as it takes some time to assemble. Lay the lamb flank out in front of you, and proceed to salt and pepper the lamb. You will need to put on a lot of salt and pepper, much more than you think. There is no recipe, it is just something you learn from experience. The reason for this is that the ribberull needs to be boiled for several hours, so much of the salt is cooked out. Otherwise, the resulting product is too bland. This is the subject of conversation every year, as the new batch of ribberull is carefully evaluated by the trained family palates. This evaluation process is important, as we try to remember for next year if new need to adjust the seasoning levels.
Now you layer onions and pork on top of this, then more salt and pepper. Then more onions and pork, and more salt and pepper. Usually two layers are about as much as you need. The point is to get as much filling inside the lamb casing as possible, so you may need to add more or take some out if necessary.
Now comes the fun part. You have to “roll” this sheet of lamb, pork, and onions, together until the two ends meet, overlapping a little bit. You then take your needle and string, and proceed to sew the ribberull together, all the while manipulating the fillings to prevent them from falling out. Your goal is to sew the lamb flank together into what looks like an overstuffed sausage, leaving no holes or gaps for the filling to escape. This is hard to describe in writing, and is something best seen in person.
Then you wrap the ribberull in a couple of layers of cheesecloth, and then wrap it tightly with string, winding around the entire surface several times. The cheesecloth and string act to hold the ribberull together, as it has a tendency to fall apart during the cooking process. We put them in the refrigerator for a day or two, as this somewhat cures it and let the flavors meld together. Boil it several hours, until it is fork tender. The wonderful smell in the house is unlike any other, a true sign that Christmas is near.
The process is not complete. After the ribberull is done, you remove it from the water and then flatten it to about and inch or so in depth. We use what we call a rule press which consists of two boards with long bolts on each of the four corners. The boards are slowly brought together through screwing a wing nut on each bolt. You open up the press, placing the cooked ribberull between the two boards, then proceed to bring the two boards together until they reach the desired thickness. At this point, you refrigerate it until cooled. Remove it from the press, and carefully remove the cheesecloth and string. Be careful not to rip the ribberull apart, since the string used to sew it together is often embedded in the ribberull itself.
Finally!! You are done! The resulting product is a flat, somewhat oblong piece of meat. We cut it into slices about 1/4 inches thick. You can’t slice it too thin, as it has a tendency to fall apart easily. We use it as lunchmeat, making the perfect sandwich. No add-ons please, aside from maybe a bit of butter. You don’t want any condiments to detract from the sumptuous flavor. Scandinavian or not, try this wonderful dish at least once in your lifetime!