Winter & Christmas

Rullepølse

Name: Rullepølse
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Cuisine: Danish
Ingredients: approx. 1.5 kg boneless, rindless pork belly, as even in thickness as possible; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 tsp ground allspice; 1 tsp freshly ground pepper; 1 tsp dried thyme; kitchen string; 3 l water; 300 g salt; 50 g sugar

Rullepølse is a classic on Danish smørrebrød: pork belly is cured, rolled up with onion and spices, simmered and pressed overnight. Thinly sliced, it belongs at every julefrokost – best on rye bread with aspic and fresh onion rings.

Thin slices of rullepølse with a spiced filling on a wooden board — Photo: Danielle Keller / Wikimedia Commons · Public Domain

Preparation: 40 min
Cooking/baking time: 2 h
Servings: approx. 30 slices
Difficulty: Challenging

Ingredients

Meat

approx. 1.5 kg boneless, rindless pork belly, as even in thickness as possible
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
kitchen string

Brine

3 l water
300 g salt
50 g sugar

Method

For the brine, bring the water, salt and sugar to the boil until dissolved and leave to cool completely.
Lay the pork belly flat, cut into the thick parts and open them out. Spread the onion, allspice, pepper and thyme evenly over the meat.
Roll up the meat tightly and tie it firmly with kitchen string at short intervals.
Place the roll in a lidded container, cover completely with brine and leave in the fridge for 2 days.
Rinse the roll, put it in a pan of fresh water and cook over low heat just below simmering point for about 2 hours.
Place the warm roll in a rullepølse press, or weigh it down between two boards, and press overnight in the fridge.
Remove the string and cut the rullepølse into thin slices. Well wrapped, it keeps for about a week in the fridge.

The story behind the dish

Rullepølse is meat that is cured in brine, rolled up with spices, boiled and pressed in a rullepølse press. Usually pork belly is used, but beef or lamb flank also works.

Sliced, rullepølse is a classic topping for Danish smørrebrød.

Enjoy it at Dansk Cottage

Homemade rullepølse takes time – exactly what you have during a holiday week on Ærø. The reward is a smørrebrød table like at a real Danish julefrokost.

The cottage kitchen · Discover Søby · Experience Ærø

In the mood for Denmark?

Dansk Cottage near Søby can be booked from 1 May 2027 – with a spacious kitchen for exactly this kind of dish.

Discover Dansk Cottage Rates & booking

Questions about the cottage? Message us 💬

Ingredients

Meat

Brine

Method

The story behind the dish

Enjoy it at Dansk Cottage

More recipes

Smørrebrød

Leverpostej

Pickled herringMarinerede sild

In the mood for Denmark?