Flæskesteg Words By: Margaret Kuffner Photos By: Ngan Tran and Eileen Shelton Imagine your life being transformed into a winter wonderland where snow slowly falls, Christmas trees are adjourned with sparkling lights, and people gather with happiness as they drink hot chocolate and eat spiced cookies. This is what Danish Christmas is like: a magical experience where time doesn’t exist and I felt like I lived in a snowglobe. Christmas in Denmark involves cookies, markets, trees, but most importantly hygge. Hygge is a Danish word that truly cannot be translated into English. It is a feeling of being warm and cozy while being surrounded by people you love. Hygge is snuggling up with family under the warm glow of candlelight and experiencing the pure moment. Danes turn Christmas into pure magic with hygge, their unmatched happiness, and their longlasting traditions. Christmas time was the pinnacle of my
exchange and we elaborately celebrated for four whole days. My family had a live Christmas tree with real burning candles and I was overcome with joy as I linked hands with my host family and danced around the flickering tree singing Danish Christmas carols. Hygge encompasses the nation as tables are set with Royal Dansk settings and families enter the kitchen to prepare a traditional feast. Flæskesteg, juicy roast pork, is assembled by parents as children’s excitement grows once the ribbensteg crisps in the oven. Ribbensteg, the rind of the pork, is a coveted element that families fight over; no eating the ribbensteg without eating the succulent pork it is attached to. The pork’s aroma encompasses the house as families await Santa’s arrival and grandmothers pass down decade-old recipes in the kitchen.
Flæskesteg Ingredients: 2.5-pound pork loin, rind on (visit your local butcher shop) 5 bay leaves 2-3 teaspoons coarse salt 1 medium onion, chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 2 cups water
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 440°F. Using a sharp knife score deep grooves, about ¼ inch thick and right up to the roast, every ½ inch. Rub the roast thoroughly with salt, ensuring you get between each groove. Place the bay leaves in between the grooves. In a roasting pan, add the onion, carrots, and 2 cups of water. Note: the vegetables and juice can be used to create a sauce later. Place the roast in a horizontal position and level in the roasting pan. Roast the pork for 15 mins at 440°F. Decrease the temperature to 400°F and roast until the core temperature is 150°F. If the water in the pan evaporates during cooking, add more. The roast will take approximately 1.5 hours, and at the end broil the roast for 3-5 min to ensure the ribbensteg are perfectly crispy.
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