''Flæskesteg'' (), the Danish version of roast pork, is considered to be one of
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
's principal national dishes. Always prepared with
crackling, it is also a favourite for the Danish Christmas dinner served as the evening meal on 24 December or
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
.
[
]
History
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...
has been a Danish favourite for centuries but it was after the Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
in the 1860s when wood-fired ovens were introduced for use in the home that, in addition to sausages and hams, roast pork became a popular dish. From the beginning, joints were always cooked together with the rind in order to provide crackling. Ever since, this has remained a prerequisite for the dish.["La cuisine danoise"]
, ''Ambassade du Danemark Luxembourg''. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
Traditional recipe
The traditional method of preparation is to roast a joint of pork from the breast or neck without removing the rind. So as to obtain crispy crackling, a sharp knife should be used to cut the skin through to the meat in narrow strips. The skin is rubbed with salt, pepper is added, while bay leaves and optionally cloves are inserted into the cuts. The joint is then roasted in a hot oven. The dish is traditionally accompanied by both boiled potatoes and caramelized potatoes (''brunede kartofler''). The caramelized potatoes are prepared by melting sugar in a frying pan over strong heat, adding a clump of butter, and allowing a portion of small, round, peeled, preboiled potatoes (available in cans) to bathe in the mixture until they become richly browned or caramelized
Caramelization (or caramelisation) is a process of browning of sugar used extensively in cooking for the resulting butter-like flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of polymers: (C24H36O18), (C36H50O25), and ...
. Red cabbage (''rødkål''), which can be bought in a jar or a can, is always included too. If the cabbage is prepared from scratch, sliced apples are often added.["Danish Christmas dinner"]
, ''Wonderful Denmark''. Retrieved 13 December 2011. Many Danes consider the traditional recipe to be the one described by Frk. Jensen in her 1901 cookbook.
, ''Denmark.dk''. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
Sandwiches
''Flæskesteg med rødkål'' (roast pork with red cabbage) is also served cold on dark Danish rye bread
Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from wheat f ...
as an open sandwich, known in Denmark as ''smørrebrød
(; originally , "butter and bread"), smørbrød "butter bread" (Norwegian language, Norwegian), or smörgås " butter goose" (Swedish language, Swedish), is a traditional Open sandwich, open-faced sandwich in the cuisine of Denmark, cuisines of ...
''. The thin slice(s) of pork should, of course, be served with their crispy crackling. The sandwich may be decorated with red cabbage, prunes, a slice of orange and pickled cucumber."Danish Food and Cooking"
, ''Copenhagenet.dk''. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
Hot ''flæskestegssandwichs'' in a burger bun are available from many
Danish hot dog stands and other fast food providers.
File:Flaeskesteg med svaer.jpg, Joint with crackling
File:Caramelized potatoes 1.JPG, Preparing caramelized potatoes
File:Flæskesteg rødkål brunede kartofler.jpg, Served with two kinds of potatoes and red cabbage
File:Flæskesteg.jpg, Crispy crackling
See also
*
Danish cuisine
Danish cuisine originated from the peasant population's own local produce and was enhanced by cooking techniques developed in the late 19th century and the wider availability of goods during and after the Second Industrial Revolution, Industrial ...
*
List of pork dishes
References
Literature
*Jensen, Kristine Marie (edited and updated by Lundsgaard, Bente Nissen and Bloch, Hanne): Frøken Jensens kogebog, Copenhagen, Gyldendal, 2003, 366 p.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flaeskesteg
Danish cuisine
Sandwiches
Christmas food
Pork dishes