Possuru is filled with, among other things, mustard. Roni Lehti
Ham is the bun on the Christmas table. The chef thinks so Risto Mikkola.
But Mikkola knows that sometimes someone also wants alternatives to traditional ham.
– Pork neck roll is a challenger to Christmas ham, Mikkola states.
Bone-in hams weigh around 5-7 kilos, pork necks weigh around 2-3 kilos.
– Traditional ham may be too big for some. This won’t be ham blood. A family of four will surely eat a roll made of pork neck in a few days, Mikkola calculates.
He wants to offer a perfect Christmas ham that doesn’t stay in the fridge.
The pig’s neck, or Kassler, is cut open so that it becomes a flat plate.
When you have cut a uniform disc from the pork neck, put a piece of plastic wrap on the cutting board, on which you lift the meat. The second film is placed on top of the meat, after which, for example, using a pot, flatten it into a flat sheet, about a centimeter thick and A3 in size. Spread the spices and roll like Kassler ear tree dough.
The homemade sauce is really delicious, as are the orange carrots. Roni Lehti
You can tie the roll with food string, but you can just as well use toothpicks. The main thing is that the roll does not open in the oven.
Tying the string has its own tricks, but it can also be done simply: Cut about 4-5 pieces of a suitable size, place them on the cutting board, put the pig roll on top and tie each string around the roll.
Like traditional ham, kassler also has good fats that make it delicious.
The roll is baked like ham in an 80-degree oven overnight. According to Mikkola, you don’t even need an interior thermometer as long as the oven temperature is 80 degrees. Then the pig will mature safely. If the temperature is over 100 degrees, the muscle fluids start to boil and come out, making the cooked meat dry.
The pork roll can be cut into thin or thick slices, it can be eaten cold or warm – either way, it tastes delicious.
Carrots and homemade beef sauce complete the experience.
– Kotikalja belongs to Christmas. Now the sauce also has a good taste of malt.
Pork neck roll
2 kg of pork neck
0.5 dl pickled mustard seeds
1 dl mustard
1 dl fresh thyme
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tsp black pepper
binding thread
1 l mild meat broth
1. Cut the pork neck horizontally open in the middle so that you can fold it open like a book. Continue cutting on both sides to get a sheet about A3 in size.
2. Pound the pork neck plate lightly. Spread the thyme, mustard seeds and mustard evenly over the pork plate. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Roll the pork neck plate into a tight roll. Tie the roll with fishing line or fishing net. Season the surface of the roll with salt and pepper.
4. Put the pork neck roll in a greased baking dish and pour the meat broth on the bottom of the dish. Put the foil on the baking tray and cook at 80 degrees overnight.
Mustard seed pickle
1 tsp (41 g) mustard seeds
0.5 dl brandy vinegar
0.5 dl of sugar
1 dl of water
0.5 tsp of salt
1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot.
2. Boil and simmer for about 10 min. Cool down.
Orange carrots
500 g of washed carrots
0.5 dl olive oil
2 teaspoons of salt
1 tsp black pepper
orange syrup
1. Mix all the ingredients (except orange syrup) and roast in the oven at 225 degrees for 20 min.
2. Season the carrots with orange syrup.
Orange syrup
2 dl squeezed orange juice
2 dl sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel seeds
1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot and cook on low heat for 10 min.
Homemade beef sauce
0.5 dl of home syrup (from the home syrup preparation set)
2 dl whipped cream
1 teaspoon of salt
1. Combine the ingredients in a pot and cook until the sauce thickens.
Wine recommendation
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Vieux Lazaret 2020, France (€32.99)
The history of the Quiot family, the producer of this wine, is part of the history of the Rhône Valley, as Antoine Quiot acquired his first hectares of vineyard in Vaucluse, in the Châteauneuf du Pape region as early as 1748.
The most important estate of the family has always been the Domaine du Vieux Lazaret right in the heart of Châteauneuf du Pape. The name Lazaret refers to the monastery that once existed in the area.
The berry aroma of this red wine gives dark plums, pomegranate, leather, spices and minerals. The taste is rich, berry, spicy, herbal and balanced. Vibrant acidity increases the nuances of the wine.
For the Christmas table, it’s good to open this elegant French classic in advance to give it oxygen about an hour before consumption.