In Denmark, this sandwich is very popular during the Christmas season. Flæskesteg, which is already considered a national dish in its own right—crispy roast pork loin with crackling—is tucked into a hamburger bun with wonderfully delicious sweet braised red cabbage and a little pan sauce.
That’s it—there’s no need to think of anything complicated. But of course, Danish cooking—or Nordic cooking in general—is not exactly famous for being complicated.
And it is true, of course, that both Danish roast pork with crackling and sweet braised red cabbage take quite a bit of time to make, even if you don’t have to stand next to either one constantly. But for Danes, these are not only national dishes, they are also essential parts of the Christmas menu, so they are practically making them anyway.
Try It Yourself!
Trust me, if you try it, you won’t be disappointed! Flæskesteg, that is, crispy roast pork loin with crackling, is so delicious that it can hold its own even at a Christmas dinner that is not Danish. The salty pork loin with the crispy crackling, the flavor-packed sauce, and the sweet cabbage together are guaranteed to bring festive flavors to the table. And a flæskesteg sandwich can really be made from leftovers, too.
Cold or Warm
A flæskesteg sandwich can basically be eaten cold or warm. In the basic version, you cut a slice from the freshly roasted meat and put the fresh cabbage on top, so all the ingredients are warm.
But the meat keeps for several days in the fridge, and you can also put the sandwich together from that and from the cabbage, which can also be refrigerated. It is worth warming it in the microwave just a little so it is not too cold. But if you want to fry the sliced meat taken from the fridge, it can dry out very easily.
It is definitely worth toasting the hamburger bun before assembling the sandwich; it will be much tastier that way.
Flæskesteg Sandwich Recipe
In this recipe, I give you the assembly of the sandwich. The ingredients naturally have to be prepared separately; you can find the recipes for each one on the website by clicking the links below:
- Flæskesteg—Danish roast pork loin with crackling; you will also find the sauce preparation in the recipe.
- Sweet braised red cabbage.
- Hamburger bun—but of course, you can also make it with store-bought hamburger buns.
This sandwich is eaten in Denmark at home, too—often from leftover meat and cabbage—but you can also find it from street vendors, unfortunately nowadays mostly only during the holiday season, at Christmas markets.
Flæskesteg Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 hamburger bun
- 2 slices flæskesteg Danish crispy roast pork loin with crackling; see the recipe in the article
- 3 tbsp sweet braised red cabbage see the recipe in the article
- 2 tbsp pan sauce see the recipe in the article
Instructions
- Cut the hamburger bun in half and toast it in a skillet or air fryer until lightly browned. Slice the meat.
- Place the slices of meat on one half of the bun, pile the cabbage on top, and drizzle with the sauce.
- Put the top on and enjoy!
