Smørrebrød with Roast Pork, Red Cabbage and Pickled Cucumber

April 16, 2024

Prep 1 hr 40 min Total 2 hr 40 min

Roast pork with red cabbage and pickled cucumber © kvalifood.com

Roast pork on rye is the undisputed centrepiece of the Danish Christmas lunch and the smørrebrød consumed in the greatest quantities in December. The cold roast pork must have crisp crackling — that is a non-negotiable requirement, and it should crunch loudly when you bite into it. The red cabbage is cooked slowly with butter, vinegar, blackcurrant juice and spices for over an hour until soft and sweet-sharp, and it is the classic counterpoint to the fatty pork. Pickled cucumber adds acidity and crunch, and an orange slice is the traditional garnish that appears year after year. This is a smørrebrød with an almost ritual status in Danish culture — it is served every year, and the formula does not change.

Roast pork with red cabbage and pickled cucumber assembly © kvalifood.com

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings

Home-made red cabbage

½ red cabbage, finely shredded
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 dl red wine vinegar
1 dl blackcurrant juice
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
salt

Pickled cucumber

1 cucumber, sliced
½ dl apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
dill seeds

Assembly

4 slices dark rye bread
butter, for the bread
8–12 thin slices cold roast pork with crisp crackling
orange slices (traditional garnish)
fresh thyme
flaky salt

Directions

Red cabbage

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the red cabbage and sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, blackcurrant juice, bay leaves and cloves. Simmer covered for 1–1½ hours. Season with salt and more vinegar if needed. The cabbage should be sweet and tangy.

Pickled cucumber

Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and dill seeds to the boil. Pour over the cucumber slices. Leave for 1 hour.

Assembly

Butter the rye bread. Lay the pork slices on top — make sure each piece has a section of crisp crackling. Distribute red cabbage alongside. Add pickled cucumber and an orange slice. Garnish with fresh thyme and flaky salt.