andrejthechef
DenmarkRoastDinner

Flæskesteg med Rødkål

Roast pork with crackling, braised red cabbage, caramelised potatoes and a brown gravy - the centrepiece of a Danish Christmas table.

prep
25 min
cook
2 h 30 min
total
2 h 55 min
serves
6
level
medium
Flæskesteg med Rødkål, a dish from Sunday lunches and Christmas

Flæskesteg is the roast at the centre of a Danish Christmas table: pork loin with the skin scored into a tight grid and salted hard, roasted low until the meat is done, then blasted with high heat to turn the skin into crackling.

Caramelised potatoes and a sharp-sweet braised red cabbage are the non-negotiable sides - between them they balance the richness of the roast.

Part of our 20 best Danish recipes list.

method

  1. Rub coarse salt deep into the scored skin of the pork and roast at 160°C (320°F) for about 2 hours, until the meat reaches 65°C internally.

  2. Turn the oven to its highest setting for the final 15-20 minutes to blister the skin into crackling.

  3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot, add the red cabbage, vinegar, redcurrant jelly, sugar and bay leaves, and simmer covered for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and deep red.

  4. Melt the sugar and butter for the potatoes in a wide pan until it turns a light caramel, then toss the boiled potatoes through until glazed all over.

  5. Rest the pork for 15 minutes, then pour the resting juices into a pan, whisk in the flour, and cook 1 minute before adding the stock gradually to make a gravy.

  6. Carve the pork, keeping the crackling in shards, and serve with the red cabbage, caramelised potatoes and gravy.

chef's tips

  • Score the skin all the way through the fat but not into the meat, in a tight 1cm grid - this is what lets the salt in and the crackling blister evenly.
  • A short blast at full heat at the end does more for the crackling than roasting hot the whole time, which risks the meat drying out before the skin is ready.