Rúllupylsa

Ingredients

Roll

• 1.5 kglamb flank, boned, in one flat sheet
• 2onions, sliced very thin
• 2 tbspsalt
• 1 tbspsaltpetre or curing salt, optional, for colour
• 2 tspground black pepper
• 1 tspground allspice
• 1 tspground cloves
• strong string, for tying

To cook

• 3 litreswater
• 1 tbspsalt
• 2bay leaves

To serve

• flatkökur or rye bread
• butter

Directions

1. Lay the flank out flat, fat side down, and trim it into a neat rectangle. Beat the thicker parts gently with a mallet so the sheet is an even thickness — an uneven roll cooks unevenly and slices badly.
2. Mix the salt, curing salt if using, pepper, allspice and cloves and rub the mixture all over the meat.
3. Scatter the sliced onion evenly over the surface, then roll the sheet up tightly from the long edge, keeping the fat on the outside.
4. Tie the roll firmly at 3 cm intervals along its length, then twice around lengthwise. It should be compact enough that no gap remains in the middle, because any air pocket becomes a hole in the slice.
5. Wrap in cloth and refrigerate for five days, turning daily. This is the cure, and it is what lets the salt and spice reach the middle of a rolled joint.
6. Simmer the roll in salted water with the bay leaves at 85°C (185°F) — never boiling — for about two hours, until a skewer meets no resistance.
7. Lift it out and press it while still hot: lay it between two boards with a heavy weight on top and leave overnight in the fridge. This is what gives rúllupylsa its dense, sliceable texture, and it cannot be done once the roll has cooled.
8. Untie, slice very thin, and serve cold on buttered flatbread.

Technique

• Press it hot, overnight, under real weight. A roll left to cool unpressed will not slice thin and falls apart on the bread.
• Roll it tightly. Every hole in a slice is an air pocket that was rolled in.
• Curing salt gives the pink colour and the cured flavour. Left out it is perfectly good and simply grey.

Substitutions

• Pork belly in place of lamb flank, which is common in Denmark as rullepølse.
• Beef flank, which is leaner and needs more fat added.
• Skip the saltpetre entirely for a plain salted roll.

Variations

• The Danish rullepølse is the same construction with different spicing.
• A version with chopped parsley and thyme through the onion layer.

History

Lamb flank was rolled, salted and pressed under weights to keep through winter; it remains a standard Icelandic sandwich meat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rúllupylsa?

Rúllupylsa is a charcuterie & cured from Iceland: pressed, rolled lamb flank spiced and sliced thin onto flatbread. Lamb flank was rolled, salted and pressed under weights to keep through winter; it remains a standard Icelandic sandwich meat.

How long does Rúllupylsa take to make?

Rúllupylsa takes 45 min plus 5 days curing and overnight pressing of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes makes one roll, about 1.2 kg. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Rúllupylsa?

Yes, within limits. Pork belly in place of lamb flank, which is common in Denmark as rullepølse. Beef flank, which is leaner and needs more fat added. Skip the saltpetre entirely for a plain salted roll.

What is the most important thing to get right in Rúllupylsa?

Simmer the roll in salted water with the bay leaves at 85°C (185°F) — never boiling — for about two hours, until a skewer meets no resistance.