Dutch Slavink Recipe (Bacon Wrapped Meatballs)
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This Dutch slavink recipe makes bacon wrapped meatballs with a seasoned pork filling, white bread and a little nutmeg. Shape them into short, rectangular rolls, wrap each one in bacon and pan-fry them until the bacon crisps and browns and the pork cooks through. They make a hearty dinner with mashed potatoes, vegetables and an optional pan gravy (which I heartily recommend!)
Slavink is a familiar sight at Dutch butcher shops and supermarket meat counters, and slavinken is the plural of the word. Some versions use a mixture of beef and pork; I usually opt for pork only when making mine. The soaked bread helps achieve a soft filling, while the bacon gives each roll its salty, browned outside. You can wrap slavink ahead of cooking, then fry them when you’re ready for dinner.
Dutch Slavink at a Glance
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: About 10 minutes per batch, continuing until the center reaches 160°F (71°C)
Total time: About 35 minutes for prep and 1 batch; allow extra time for additional batches
Servings: 16 slavinken
Cuisine: Dutch
Main ingredients: Ground pork, bacon, white bread and egg
Cooking method: Pan-frying
Storage: Refrigerate cooked slavinken for 3 to 4 days
Why You’ll Love It
- Cooked on the stovetop: Fry the rolls in a skillet, then use the browned cooking juices for the optional gravy. It’s a really simple process from start to finish.
- A soft, seasoned filling: Soaked white bread and egg bind the pork, with black pepper and nutmeg for seasoning. I really love the subtle spice flavor in the filling.
- A generous batch: The recipe makes 16 rolls, so you can cook enough for dinner and freeze the rest uncooked.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground pork (pork mince): I prefer to use all pork if I can get it. A half-beef, half-pork filling is also common in Dutch slavinken. You can buy gemengd gehakt (mixed ground meat) or half-om-half gehakt which is half-beef and half-pork in most supermarkets (along with rundergehakt which is 100% ground beef). It’s not always so easy to find pork only gehakt, or varkensgehakt.
- Bacon: I used regular-cut streaky bacon. I find that thick-cut strips take longer to cook and are harder to wrap tightly around the filling. They also take longer to get crisp, so I recommend thin streaky bacon (known just as bacon in the US) not Canadian bacon aka back bacon (again, depending where you’re from!)
- White sandwich bread: Remove the crusts, soak the bread and squeeze out the water before mixing. Soft sandwich bread is the bread I used.
- Egg: I beat it before mixing it with the bread and pork to help distribute it through the filling.
- Black pepper and nutmeg: These season the filling to taste. I recommend that you add salt cautiously as the bacon can already be salty.
- Butter or lard: Add a little to the skillet if needed to prevent sticking. The bacon will release fat as it cooks so you may not need much, if any, if you’re using a nonstick pan.
- Dried parsley: This optional addition coats the short ends of the rolls.
Substitutions and Variations
- Beef and pork filling: Use 1 pound (450g) ground beef and 1 pound (450g) ground pork. Keep the bread, egg and bacon quantities the same.
- Smoked or unsmoked bacon: Either works. I always opt for thinly sliced streaky bacon for easier wrapping.
- Gluten-free bread: Use gluten-free white sandwich bread and check the bacon and other packaged ingredients. Bread textures vary, so squeeze out the soaking water thoroughly.
- Without parsley: Skip the optional dried parsley coating at the ends of the rolls.
- Gravy without milk: Use water for the optional pan gravy. Thicken it with a little cornstarch mixed with cold water if you like.
- Pan gravy alternatives: Serve with prepared pork or beef gravy, onion gravy or mushroom gravy. You could also serve lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce on the side.
Tips for Wrapping and Cooking Slavinken
- Divide the filling evenly: Make 16 short rolls of similar thickness so they cook at a similar rate.
- Overlap the bacon: Arrange 2 strips lengthwise, slightly overlapping, then lay a third strip across them. Fold the crosswise strip over the ends of the filling and wrap the lengthwise strips around the roll.
- Start with the seams facing down: Press the bacon ends against the filling before adding the rolls to the skillet. If I begin with the seams up, they unravel.
- Leave room in the skillet: Cook in batches if needed so you can flip the rolls and brown their sides without crowding. The easiest way to turn them is with a pair of tongs.
- Adjust the heat: Lower it if the bacon browns quickly before the center finishes cooking.
- Check the center: Insert an instant-read thermometer into the middle of each roll. The pork must reach 160°F (71°C), even if it needs longer than the approximate cooking time.
Optional Pan Gravy
This is optional but I almost always make it because it adds flavor and moisture to the dish. Transfer the cooked slavinken to a serving plate and pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving a little with the browned cooking juices.
Add a splash of water or milk and stir over the heat, scraping up the browned bits. Taste before adding salt. If you prefer a thicker gravy, you can mix a little cornstarch with cold water or milk first, then stir it into the pan and simmer until it thickens.
What to Serve with Slavinken
Serve these bacon meatballs with mashed potatoes and veggies, spooning any pan gravy over the potatoes. Fried mushrooms and onions are good accompaniments too.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large nonstick skillet: Use it to brown and cook the slavinken, working in batches as needed.
- Silicone-tipped tongs: Lift and flip the rolls gently without scratching the skillet.
- Instant-read meat thermometer: Check the pork filling reaches 160°F (71°C).
How to Store Slavinken
- Make ahead: Cover the uncooked rolls and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below. Cook within 1 to 2 days of buying the ground pork, or sooner if its use-by date requires it.
- Refrigerate cooked rolls: Transfer leftovers to a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Eat within 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: Wrap uncooked rolls individually, then seal them in a freezer bag. Freeze cooked rolls in an airtight container. Use either within 1 month for best quality.
- Thaw: Thaw in the refrigerator until fully defrosted. The time depends on their size and whether you froze them separately or together.
- Reheat: Heat cooked slavinken gently in a skillet or microwave until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Add a splash of water and cover the skillet if needed to keep the filling from drying out.
Slavink FAQs
Slavink means 1 roll, while slavinken is the plural. Both names refer to the same bacon-wrapped Dutch meat dish.
Slavink has a bacon wrapper. Blinde vink has a slice of meat, commonly beef, wrapped around a seasoned ground-meat filling.
My recipe has white sandwich bread in it, so it’s not gluten-free. But gluten-free sandwich bread is an option, although its texture can differ. Check the bacon and other packaged ingredients too if you’re avoiding gluten.
Yes. Smoked streaky bacon gives the rolls a smoky flavor. Unsmoked streaky bacon is also good here; just avoid thick-cut strips because they’re harder to wrap and take longer to cook.
Dutch Slavink Recipe (Bacon Wrapped Meatballs)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (900g) ground pork (pork mince)
- 1 egg
- 48 regular-cut streaky bacon strips, smoked or unsmoked
- 12 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- Black pepper and ground nutmeg, to taste
- Salt, if needed
- Butter or lard, for frying, if needed
- Dried parsley, optional
- Water or milk, as needed
- Cornstarch (cornflour), optional, as needed
Equipment
- Large nonstick skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Shallow bowl for soaking bread
- Cutting board or clean work surface
- Knife for removing bread crusts
- Silicone-tipped tongs
- Instant-read meat thermometer
- Serving plate
- Spoon for optional gravy
- Small bowl for optional cornstarch slurry
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Skillet lid, optional for reheating
Method
- Soak the bread in cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the water thoroughly.
- Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl with black pepper, nutmeg and a little salt if needed. Omit the added salt if the bacon is very salty.
- Add the squeezed bread to the egg, then add the ground pork and mix by hand until combined. Divide into 16 equal portions and shape each into a short rectangular roll.
- Lay 2 bacon strips lengthwise on a clean work surface, slightly overlapping. Lay a third strip crosswise over them. Add a pork roll where the strips cross. Fold the crosswise strip over the short ends, then wrap the lengthwise strips around the roll and press the ends firmly against the filling. Repeat with the remaining pork and bacon.
- If using dried parsley, press a little onto the 2 short ends of each roll.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter or lard if needed, then add the slavinken with the bacon seams facing down. Cook in batches if necessary, leaving room to flip them.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for about 5 minutes more, gently rolling them onto their sides as needed to brown the bacon. Lower the heat if the outside browns before the filling cooks through. Check each roll with an instant-read thermometer and continue cooking until the center reaches 160°F (71°C). Transfer to a serving plate.
- Pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving a little with the browned cooking juices. Add a splash of water or milk, then heat while stirring and scraping up the browned bits.
- For thicker gravy, mix a little cornstarch with cold water or milk in a small bowl, stir it into the skillet and simmer until thickened. Taste before adding salt.
- Serve the slavinken hot, with the optional gravy and your choice of sides.
Notes
- This recipe makes 16 slavinken, enough for 8 servings with side dishes.
- The approximate cooking time is per batch. The filling must reach 160°F (71°C); add cooking time as needed for doneness and additional batches.
- Use regular-cut streaky bacon for easier wrapping.
- Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C).
- Freeze individually wrapped uncooked slavinken or cooked rolls in an airtight container for up to 1 month for best quality. Thaw fully in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
A Dutch Skillet Dinner
Slavinken are a familiar Dutch dish, and this pork version is the one I make at home. With bacon around each roll and a little nutmeg in the filling, they’re delicious served with mashed potatoes and gravy, plus a tasty pan gravy.
Related Recipes
- Dutch kale stamppot with sausage combines mashed potatoes and kale for a traditional Dutch meal.
- German beef rouladen gives you another rolled-meat dinner served with gravy.
- Pesto spaghetti with baked meatballs pairs homemade meatballs with pasta and pesto.
I’ve also written about the best and worst of life in Holland, including Dutch food and everyday life, if you’re curious what I learned while living there.
