''Flæskesteg'', flɛːskə.stɐ̯jthe Danish version of roast pork, is considered to be one of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

'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.

History

Pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

has been a Danish favourite for centuries but it was after the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

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 is a process of browning of sugar used extensively in cooking for the resulting sweet nutty flavor and brown color. The brown colors are produced by three groups of polymers: caramelans (C24H36O18), caramelens (C36H50O25), and ca ...

. 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 whea ...

as an open sandwich, known in Denmark as '' smørrebrød''. 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

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

History

Traditional recipe

Sandwiches

See also

References

Literature