Scandinavian Rullepolse or Ribberull – Creating a Delicious Scandinavian Masterpiece

Knowing how to make rullepolse or ribberulle, the seasoned meat roll, is an essential for having a proper Scandinavian Christmas party, at least in our house. Once you can get your required brisket, the rest of the process can be a fun, family affair.

The first thing we have to do is bone the lamb brisket and trim it. We like to do this ourselves, as it’s important not to cut into the “fall,” which is the skin-like membrane that covers the surface of the meat. If there are holes or cuts in the drop, the ingredients inside pop out. Don’t worry too much as we can sew up the holes if needed, but it’s best to keep the drape intact. Also, the drop provides a good anchor to which we sew the casing. All ribs are removed along with excess fat. We then trim the edges to “square” the meat into what looks like a rectangular sheet of meat and fat, thus becoming the riberull casing.

I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I think the origins stem from the fact that in the “old days”, you didn’t waste any part of a slaughtered animal. Making riberull was a way of taking an undesirable part of the lamb and turning it into something delicious.

Now comes the assembly process. We buy the cheapest cut of pork we can find, usually a pork loin. Cut it into thin slices, trying to remove as much of the excess fat as you can. There is already enough fat in the flank of the lamb, plus we don’t want to cover any of the lamb flavor obtained from rendered lamb fat. Then cut several onions into thin slices. Have plenty of salt and pepper available. The last thing you’ll need is a tapestry needle, or any needle with a large eye, and some plain cotton thread.

We always sit at the kitchen table to make this as it takes some time to put together. Lay the brisket of lamb in front of you and proceed to season the lamb. You will need to put a lot of salt and pepper in it, much more than you think. There is no recipe, it is just something that is learned from experience. The reason for this is that the riberull needs to be boiled for several hours, so much of the salt cooks off. Otherwise, the resulting product is too bland. This is the topic of conversation every year, as the new batch of riberull is carefully evaluated by trained family palates. This evaluation process is important as we try to remember for next year if the seasoning levels need to be adjusted.

Now layer onion and pork on top of this, then more salt and pepper. Then more onions and pork, and more salt and pepper. Usually two coats are all you need. The point is to get as much stuffing inside the lamb casing as possible, so you may need to add more or remove some if necessary.

Now comes the fun part. You have to “roll” this sheet of lamb, pork and onion, together until the two ends meet, overlapping a bit. She then takes the needle and string and proceeds to sew the riberull, while handling the fillers to prevent them from falling out. His goal is to sew the brisket into what looks like an overstuffed sausage, leaving no holes or gaps for the stuffing to escape. This is hard to describe in writing, and it’s something that looks better in person.

Then you wrap the riberull in a couple of layers of cheesecloth, and then tightly wrap it with string, winding the entire surface several times. The cheesecloth and string act to hold the riberull together, as it tends to fall apart during the cooking process. We put them in the fridge for a day or two as this cures it a bit and allows the flavors to meld. Boil it for several hours, until tender. The wonderful smell in the house is like no other, a true sign that Christmas is near.

The process is not complete. After the riberull is done, you take it out of the water and then flatten it out to about an inch or so in depth. We use what we call a ruler press consisting of two boards with long bolts in each of the four corners. The boards are slowly attached by screwing a wing nut onto each stud. You open the press, place the cooked riberull between the two boards, then proceed to push the two boards together until you reach the desired thickness. At this point, you refrigerate it until cool. Remove it from the press and carefully remove the cheesecloth and thread. Take care not to rip the riberull, as the string used to sew it is often embedded in the riberull itself.

Finally!! Are you ready! The resulting product is a flat, somewhat oblong piece of meat. We cut it into slices about 1/4 inch thick. You can’t cut it too thin as it tends to fall apart easily. We use it as a cold cut, making the perfect sandwich. No add-ons, other than maybe a bit of butter. You don’t want any seasoning to detract from the sumptuous flavor. Scandinavian or not, try this wonderful dish at least once in your life!