Pork roll

Name: Pork roll - Andra C.
Ingredients: 1 kg pork shoulder (neck) 0.5 kg minced pork 0.5 kg spinach 2 carrots 1 root celery 1 onion 0.5 l vegetable broth salt; pepper; thyme

Pork roll with spinach, minced meat, and vegetables is prepared from a large piece of meat, flattened as much as possible, then filled and rolled. The spinach provides a light filling, while the carrot and celery remain inside as crunchy and aromatic strips. The roll is baked in the oven along with vegetable broth and large-cut vegetables until the meat is thoroughly cooked. It can be served with various side dishes. Quick Info Total time: not specified in the original recipe; preparation includes about one hour of baking, plus the time for preparing the ingredients and rolling the meat. Preparation time: not specified Cooking time: approximately 1 hour Servings: number not specified; depends on the thickness of the slice served Difficulty: medium Recipe type: main course, baked pork roll Ingredients 1 kg pork shoulder, also known as pork leg in the original recipe 500 g minced pork 500 g spinach 2 carrots 1 root celery 1 onion 500 ml vegetable broth salt, to taste pepper, to taste fresh thyme From the two carrots, one is cut into thin sticks and used in the filling. The remaining vegetables are placed in the baking dish alongside the pork roll. Half of the celery is used for the strips inside, while the other half is cut into large pieces for the baking dish. Preparation method 1. Prepare the pork Cut the meat to obtain a large and as uniform a piece as possible. The goal is to be able to fill and roll it without tearing. If there are thicker areas, pound the meat with a meat mallet until you achieve a uniform thickness across the surface. Season the meat with salt and pepper. It is easier to do this before adding the filling so that the spices reach the entire surface. 2. Prepare the spinach and vegetables for the filling Clean the spinach and blanch it. After blanching, let it drain well. It is important that there is not too much water left in the leaves, as the filling would become too wet, making it harder to roll the pork. Peel one carrot and half of the root celery, then cut them into thin sticks. The strips should be narrow enough to fit inside the roll without hindering the rolling of the meat. 3. Arrange the filling Spread the well-drained, blanched spinach over the seasoned meat. On top of the spinach, place the seasoned minced pork. Finally, arrange the carrot and celery sticks. Distribute the ingredients as evenly as possible, but do not overload the edges. A looser edge helps with rolling the meat and reduces the risk of the filling spilling out. 4. Roll the meat Roll the meat as tightly as possible, starting from one of the long sides. After rolling, tie the roll to prevent it from coming undone during baking. The tying should be firm enough, but not so tight that it pushes the filling out. If there are portions that do not close perfectly, place the roll in the baking dish with the seam side down. However, tying remains important, especially if the filling is distributed in a thicker layer. 5. Prepare the baking dish Place the roll in a baking dish. Add the vegetable broth, then surround the meat with the remaining carrot, the remaining celery, and the onion, all cut into large pieces. Add fresh thyme. The vegetables in the dish will cook in the broth and contribute to the flavor of the liquid in which the meat is baking. They can be served alongside the roll or used as part of the side dish, depending on how you prefer to serve the dish. 6. Bake the roll Put the dish in the oven and let the roll bake for about an hour, until the meat is thoroughly cooked. The original recipe does not specify the oven temperature, so this cannot be indicated without altering the available information. Check towards the end if the roll is cooked inside and if the layers of meat are penetrated. The time may vary depending on the thickness of the roll and the oven, so a thicker piece may need more time than a thinner, flatter one. 7. Slice and serve After baking, remove the ties and cut the roll into slices. It is easier to achieve clean slices if the roll is allowed to rest a bit before cutting, without slicing it immediately after taking it out of the oven. Serve the slices with your preferred side dish and the roasted vegetables from the dish. The dish can be served both as a main course and for a family meal where you want to prepare the meat in advance. Why I make this recipe often Pork roll is useful when you want to prepare multiple servings at once. It slices easily, and the filling with spinach, minced meat, and vegetables makes it more filling than a simple piece of meat baked in the oven. Additionally, the vegetables in the dish and the vegetable broth help create a simple sauce without needing extra steps. It is also a flexible recipe for serving. The slices can be accompanied by different side dishes, depending on what you have on hand and how hearty you want the meal to be. Tips The spinach must be well-drained after blanching. If too much liquid remains, the roll may come apart more easily, and the filling will not hold as well between the layers of meat. Pound the meat enough to achieve a uniform surface, but do not thin it out so much that it tears when you add the filling. The minced meat should be seasoned before being spread over the spinach. This way, the spices distribute better inside the roll. If you use ties for the roll, remove them before serving. Cut the roll after you have untied all the ties, so that the slices are easier to portion. Substitutions The recipe does not offer precise substitutions for the ingredients. If you do not have prepared vegetable broth, do not change the amount of liquid without reason; the broth is used in the dish in which the roll is cooked and is part of the original preparation method. For the filling, the indicated ingredients are spinach, minced meat, carrot, and celery. Replacing them would alter the taste and texture of the roll, so it is preferable to keep them as presented. Variations You can adjust the amount of each ingredient inside, as long as the roll can be closed and tied. The exact quantities for distributing the filling are not specified, so it is distributed evenly based on the size of the piece of meat. The roll can be cut into thicker slices for a heartier serving or into thinner slices if placed on a platter alongside other dishes. This does not change the cooking method but may influence the number of servings. Serving ideas Pork roll can be served with various side dishes. The vegetables roasted in the same dish can be placed next to the slices, and the remaining liquid in the dish can be used to add more moisture to the meat when serving. For a simple meal, the slices of roll and the vegetables from the dish are sufficient. If you want a more substantial platter, you can add the side dish you typically prepare with pork, without altering the basic recipe. Frequently asked questions 1. Can I use spinach without blanching it? In the original recipe, spinach is cleaned and blanched before being placed in the roll. It is also important to drain it well so that the filling is not watery. It is not advisable to skip this step if you want to maintain the presented preparation method. 2. Why is the roll tied? The roll is tied to maintain its shape during baking and to prevent the filling from spilling out. The tie is removed before cutting and serving. 3. Can I put all the vegetables inside the roll? No. From the recipe, one carrot and half of the celery are cut into sticks and placed inside, while the remaining carrot, celery, and onion are cut into large pieces and placed in the dish around the roll. 4. How long is the roll baked? The roll is baked for approximately one hour, until it is thoroughly cooked. The oven temperature is not specified in the original recipe, and the exact duration may vary depending on the thickness of the roll and the oven. 5. What can it be served with? It can be served with various side dishes. The roasted vegetables in the dish can be placed next to the meat, and the slices of roll can be served while they are hot. Nutritional values The values below are estimates, as the exact type of shoulder or leg, the fat content of the minced meat, how the roll is divided, and the number of servings are not specified. For the entire amount of roll, the dish may have approximately 3,500-4,500 kcal, depending on how fatty the pork is. The total protein content may be around 300-350 g, and the fats can reach approximately 220-300 g. Spinach, carrot, celery, and onion provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but most of the calories come from the meat. As a rough estimate, 100 g of roll can provide approximately 220-300 kcal, 18-23 g of protein, 15-23 g of fat, and a small amount of carbohydrates. The actual values depend particularly on the fat content of the pork pieces and the minced meat. The side dish served separately is not included in these estimates. Storage and reheating Store the roll in the refrigerator in a sealed container or well-covered, along with some of the remaining liquid in the dish. This helps keep the meat from drying out when reheating. For serving, heat the slices until they are well warmed inside. Slow reheating with a little liquid from the dish preserves the texture better than heating a completely dry slice. If you have only cut part of the roll, it is preferable to keep the rest whole and slice it as you serve it.

Pork roll

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