Make your own Wellfleisch – really tasty, whether hot or cold

Wellfleisch - ready
Type
Pre-cooked sausage
Level
Easy

In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own Wellfleisch. It’s quick to prepare and the result is delicious. 

Wellfleisch, also known as Kesselfleisch, is a traditional German specialty. It is meat that is cooked in a large cauldron or pot, often together with various spices and vegetables. 

The meat can vary depending on the region and preferences, but it is typically pork, such as pork shoulder or pork belly.

Wellfleisch is often served with sauerkraut, potatoes or bread and is known for its hearty taste.

But enough talk now…

Here you can find the complete wellfleisch recipe as a video or to read through.

Have fun and good luck making it!

Wellfleisch – What do you need to make it?

Wellfleisch - all ingredients
g

Ingredients per 1 kg

Ingredient Grams Percent
pork belly 1,000 g 100 %

Spices per 1 kg

Ingredient Grams
stock
soup vegetables 500 g
onions 100 g
salt 36 g
pepper 6 g
water 2 liters
Add an additional 18 g salt per kg of meat —

The equipment to make Wellfleisch

Making Wellfleisch yourself is actually very easy. So you don’t need any special equipment.

Wellfleisch Recipe – Step-By-Step Instructions

1

Cut the soup vegetables into large cubes.

Wellfleisch - vegetables
2

Put the soup vegetables and water in a pan with salt and pepper. 

Wellfleisch - pot
3

Stir the ingredients well once.

Wellfleisch - stir
4

Add the pork belly and cook the pork belly for about 1 hour. It is ready when it is soft but not yet falling apart. 

Wellfleisch - 1h
5

Optionally, you can remove the rind from the pork belly. This is up to you, depending on whether you like the rind or not.

Wellfleisch - rind
6

Your Wellfleisch is ready. 🙂You can enjoy it cold or warm. Let it taste good.

Wellfleisch - ready

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Wellfleisch and Kesselfleisch?

What is the difference between Wellfleisch and Kesselfleisch?

There is none. Wellfleisch and Kesselfleisch are two names for the same dish, and which one you hear depends on the region you are in. “Wellfleisch” comes from the gentle waves the water makes while the meat simmers: it should move, not boil hard. “Kesselfleisch” comes from the big cauldron the meat went into at a home slaughter, when there was plenty of it to cook at once.

So if you came here looking for a Kesselfleisch recipe, this is it. The only thing that cauldron was doing is what your biggest pot does now, which is to keep the meat covered in stock the whole time it cooks.

What do you serve with Wellfleisch?

What do you serve with Wellfleisch?

Sauerkraut, and it is not a close call. Boiled potatoes go beside it and a sharp mustard belongs on the plate — that is the traditional butchering-day platter this comes from, and a blood sausage sits on it happily too.

Cold is the other half of this recipe and it is worth planning for. Sliced thin on good bread with mustard it makes a proper Brotzeit, and that is where step 5 pays off: take the rind off if you are going to eat it cold, because it firms up once it has cooled.

How long is the shelf life of the Wellfleisch?

How long is the shelf life of the Wellfleisch?

Your Wellfleisch will keep for approx. 3 – 4 days in the fridge. However, you can also freeze it. This increases the shelf life.

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