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Danish Flæskesteg

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Sliced Danish flæskesteg with crisp rind, browned potatoes, red cabbage, and gravy.
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Flæskesteg is Denmark’s classic roast pork, prized for juicy slices and a deeply crisp scored rind called svær.

Careful scoring, thorough salting, and a level roast help every strip of rind blister evenly while the pork stays tender.

Use crumpled foil under the roast to level the rind before it goes into the oven.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with browned potatoes, warm red cabbage, pan gravy, and pickled cucumber if desired.

A whole Danish flæskesteg roast with deeply scored crisp rind in a metal roasting pan.

Recipe Notes

Recrisp leftover rind briefly in a hot oven and keep it separate from moist gravy.

Sliced Danish flæskesteg with crisp rind, browned potatoes, red cabbage, and gravy.

Danish Flæskesteg

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Danish roast pork with crackling rind, caramelized potatoes, braised red cabbage, and savory pan gravy.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Resting 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Danish
Calories: 760
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Pork and Gravy
  • 4 lb pork loin roast with rind attached rind scored to the fat
  • 2 tbsp coarse salt
  • 6 whole bay leaves
  • 2 cups water for roasting
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium pork or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
Browned Potatoes
  • 2 lb small waxy potatoes boiled and peeled
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter
Red Cabbage
  • 2 lb red cabbage thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup red currant jelly
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 1 tsp fine salt

Equipment

  • Roasting pan with rack
  • Sharp knife
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Large skillet
  • Medium saucepan

Method
 

Roast the Pork:
  1. Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut through rind to the fat at 1/3-inch (1 cm) intervals without cutting deeply into meat. Rub salt firmly into every score and tuck bay leaves into several cuts.
  2. Set the roast rind-side up on a rack, using foil to make the rind level. Add water to the pan and roast 75 minutes, replenishing water if needed.
  3. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C) and roast until the center reaches 145°F (63°C), 35 to 60 minutes more. If needed, broil briefly while watching constantly to finish the crackling. Rest 20 minutes.
Cook the Sides:
  1. Simmer cabbage with vinegar, currant jelly, apple juice, and salt for 45 to 60 minutes until tender and balanced.
  2. Melt sugar in a large skillet over medium-low heat until amber. Add butter carefully, then potatoes; turn gently for 12 to 15 minutes until evenly glazed.
Make Gravy and Serve:
  1. Skim excess fat from roasting juices. Whisk flour into a little cool stock, add to the pan juices with remaining stock, and simmer until thickened. Stir in cream and season.
  2. Slice pork between rind strips and serve with potatoes, cabbage, and gravy.

Nutrition

Calories: 760kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 47gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1080mgFiber: 7gSugar: 25g

Notes

  • A level rind is the key to evenly crisp crackling.
  • The gravy should be served around, not over, the rind so it stays crisp.

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