How to Make a Danish Pork Roast with Crackling for Christmas. Flæskesteg med svær God Jul! ♥

A crispy pork rind is sooo delicious!  One bite and you can't stop at just one bite.

What to eat with a Danish Pork Roast? Traditionally, flæskesteg med svær (roast pork) with crackling always has poached apples with prunes, Danish sugar browned potatoes (brunede kartofler), Danish red cabbage (rødkaal) brun sovs (brown pork gravy) and potatoes. 

Ingredients

• A 5 lb. pork roast (neck or shoulder works well), with thick layer of fat called rind
• 1 Tbsp. coarse or kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp of ground pepper
• 5 bay leaves
• 3 cups water in a deep roasting pan
• fresh parsley

Optional

• 5 cloves or 1 tsp.ground cloves

Kitchen Utensils

• deep roasting pan
• knife
• thermometer

Instruction:

1. Place the pork roast upside down in hot water in the roasting pan. Make sure there is enough water at the bottom of the pan as you will need it to make the pork gravy.
2. Place the roast in the oven at 350F. Roast it for approx. 15 min.
3. Take it out of the oven and score the skin all over into thin strips, bringing the blade of the knife about halfway through the fat beneath the skin.
4. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper, pressing it into the meat as much as you can. Push bayleafs (and cloves) down into the cracks.
5. Place the pork roast in the oven and roast it at 350F.  Allow approx. 25 minutes to the pound. Will need to be in the oven for about 2 hours.
6. Cook until meat reaches it's an internal temperature. The internal temperature of the roast should be 170F. The way to tell if the meat is cooked is to insert a skewer in the thickest part, and the juices that run out should be absolutely clear without any trace of pinkness. It is not necessary to baste the pork as there is enough fat to keep the meat moist.
7. When the pork is cooked remove it from the oven into a warm place. Give it at least 30 minutes resting time on a warm serving plate before carving. Don't cover the pork because any steam will soften the crackling.
8. When ready to carve the pork, first remove the crackling.  Cut the crackling into thin strips.  Cut the pork across the grain and arrange on a platter.

Pork Roast Gravy

1. While the pork is resting, it is time to work on the gravy. 
2. First, tilt the tin and spoon all the fat off, leaving only the juices. 
3. Then place the roasting tin over direct heat, turned to low, sprinkle in the flour and quickly work it into the juices with a wooden spoon.
4. Now turn the heat up to medium and gradually add the stock, this time using a balloon whisk until it comes up to simmering point and you have a smooth rich gravy. 
5. Taste and season with salt, sugar and pepper and pour the gravy into a warmed serving bowl.

Serve the pork carved in slices, with potatoes, gravy, red cabbage, prunes and apples w/jelly. 

Also, Danish cold lunches such as an open sandwiches, known as smørrebrød, are decorated with a variety of fine ingredients including the poached apples and prunes as a topping. 

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Which is your favorite side dish with a pork roast dinner? Let us know in the comments!
God Jul!
xoxo,
Karen Grete and Heidi

 

*how to make Danish Christmas rice pudding with cherry sauce dessert recipe (Risalamande med kirsebærsauce)

*how to make Swedish Glogg for Christmas & cold evenings! (glögg or mulled wine recipe) 

*how to make aeblskiver (æbleskiver)

*how to make Danish Christmas Klejner

*how to make easy Danish cucumber salad (arguksalat)

*how to make Danish sugar browned potatoes (brunede kartofler)

*how to make Danish red cabbage (rødkaal)

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