Danish Flæskesteg (Roast Pork with Crackling)

About This Recipe

Flæskesteg is Denmark's national Sunday and Christmas roast — a joint of pork roasted until the meat is tender and juicy, with skin that transforms into the most extraordinary crackling (svær): puffy, blistered, light as air yet intensely savory. The secret is deep scoring of the skin, a generous rub of salt, and understanding when to switch to high heat. Served with caramelized potatoes, red cabbage, and brown gravy.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 kgbone-in pork loin with skin
• 3 tbspcoarse sea salt
• 1 tspwhole cloves
• 4 mediumbay leaves
• 1 mediumonion, halved
• 2 cupswater (for roasting pan)
• 2 mediumcarrots (for roasting pan)

Instructions

1. 1

   Score the skin

   Using a sharp knife, score the skin in parallel lines 5mm apart and 5mm deep, going through the skin but not into the meat. Score all the way to the edges.

2. 2

   Salt generously

   Rub salt into every cut of the scored skin, pushing it deep. Insert whole cloves between the cuts. Salt the bottom of the meat too. Rest uncovered in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

3. 3

   Roast at low heat

   Place pork skin-side up on onion and carrot in a roasting pan. Add water to the pan. Roast at 160°C (320°F) for 90 minutes.

4. 4

   Blast the crackling

   Increase oven to 230°C (445°F). Roast for 20–30 more minutes until the skin puffs and crackles. Watch carefully.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Rest 15 minutes. Slice with the crackling intact on each portion. Serve with caramelized potatoes and red cabbage.

Variations

• •

  Stuff the joint with prunes and apples for Christmas style

• •

  Serve with brunede kartofler (caramelized potatoes)

• •

  Make open sandwiches with leftover cold slices

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat crackling briefly in a hot oven to re-crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions