How to tie a roulade knot

Is there a roulade on your Christmas menu this year? You’re not the only one. This year I’m going for Yvette van Boven’s Christmas porchetta. But how do you tie something like that?

I asked my butcher, who immediately said: ‘Are you recording this on your phone?’. Of course I didn’t, because ‘I’ll remember it’. Once I got home, tying it obviously didn’t work at all. Luckily, there’s always… the internet (imagine a church choir here).

I soon discovered that the ultimate roulade knot comes from Gertjan Kiers, known online as the Demoslager and Meatbook poet. Well, that’s what I call him, since he posts little poems about meat on Facebook. In a video, he explains to the Star Class at Amsterdam’s ROC how he came up with this knot.

Tying quickly

“When I was your age, and wanted to become a butcher, it was around Christmas. And around Christmas, they always choose roulades. Then I had to do a hundred roulades, but I had learned a knot at school, this one [demonstrates knot]. But when I had been at it for two hours and had only done four roulades, I thought: I’m not going to manage this. So I withdrew and developed a knot. And it goes like this.”

Then he demonstrates another knot, quickly, slowly (which is still fast) and once again (super) quickly. All well and good, but to save you from rewinding and fast-forwarding through this video a hundred times, I photographed the steps for you.

Yes, with a kitchen roll, because my still-raw pork belly for my Christmas porchetta simply doesn’t look very appetizing.

Step by step

1. Wrap the kitchen twine around the meat, start in the middle and place the two pieces of twine on the palm of your hand.
2. Twist the top piece of twine around your index finger.
3. Now pass your index finger underneath the bottom piece of twine.
4. Keep the short piece of the top piece of twine on your left.
5. Then pass that piece of twine over the other pieces of twine.
6. And pull it through the loop by your index finger.
7. Move your index finger away and gently tighten the knot.
8. Pull back and forth a little (on both pieces of twine) et voilà: your first knot is tied.

Then continue the steps from the inside out. Always do this on both sides, otherwise you’ll pull it crooked.