Slavink

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large frying pan with lid, 28cm
• •Mixing bowl
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Soften the crumbs

   Stir the breadcrumbs with the milk in a mixing bowl and let them sit for five minutes. This little paste keeps the gehakt, minced meat, tender; skip it and the filling tightens like a fist in the pan.

2. 2

   Season the meat

   Add the minced pork, minced beef, beaten egg, mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to the soaked crumbs. Mix with your hands just until even. Stop when it looks joined together; overworking mince gives you bounce, and a slavink should eat like supper, not a rubber ball.

   Dutch half-om-halfgehakt, equal pork and beef mince, is exactly right here. If you use all pork, choose mince with enough fat to stay juicy.
3. 3

   Shape the rolls

   Divide the meat mixture into eight portions and shape each into a firm cylinder about 8 centimetres long. Wet your hands lightly if the mixture sticks. The rolls should be compact enough to hold together but not squeezed hard; the bacon will do the binding.

4. 4

   Wrap with bacon

   Lay two thin slices of ontbijtspek, streaky breakfast bacon, slightly overlapping on the board. Place one meat roll at the short end and wrap the bacon around it in a snug spiral, starting and ending underneath. Repeat with the rest. Thin bacon matters; thick-cut bacon behaves like a belt when you need a bandage.

5. 5

   Brown seam-side down

   Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Set the slavinken in the pan seam-side down and leave them alone for three minutes so the bacon seals itself. Turn gently and brown all sides, about six to eight minutes total. The bacon should be deep golden with crisp edges, not black.

6. 6

   Cook gently

   Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for another eight to ten minutes, turning once or twice. The centre should reach 71C/160F on a thermometer. If you don't have one, cut one open; the filling should be firm, hot, and no longer raw-pink. Lift the lid for the final two minutes so the bacon tightens again.

7. 7

   Make the jus

   Move the slavinken to a warm plate and pour the water or light stock into the pan. Scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon and let the liquid reduce for a minute into a small glossy braadjus, pan gravy. Spoon it over the rolls and serve with boiled potatoes and a green vegetable.

Chef Tips

• •Ask for thin ontbijtspek, not thick breakfast bacon. It must wrap, render, and cling to the meat; a thick slice will brown before the centre has finished cooking.
• •Keep the heat moderate after the first browning. Bacon is salty and quick to catch, and burnt bacon will bully every modest thing on the plate.
• •Serve it the plain Dutch way: boiled potatoes, green beans or cauliflower, and the pan jus. The potato is there to catch the gravy. This is architecture, not decoration.
• •A young Dutch pilsner suits it better than a grand wine. If wine is already open, choose a simple dry red with enough fruit for the bacon and enough manners for a Tuesday.

Advance Preparation

• •Shape and wrap the slavinken up to 24 hours ahead, then cover and refrigerate. Let them stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before frying so the centre cooks evenly.
• •Uncooked wrapped slavinken freeze well for up to 2 months. Freeze them on a tray first, then pack airtight; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
• •Cooked leftovers keep 2 days refrigerated. Reheat gently in a covered pan with a spoonful of water so the mince warms before the bacon darkens further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)