Æbleflæsk (, ''apple-pork'') is a traditional Danish dish consisting of cured or salted

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

belly (known as ''flæsk''), fried with

apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

and sugar. Chopped

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

is often fried with the apples. There are many versions, ranging from a sweet apple mash with small cubes of bacon, to larger slices of lightly salted and fried pork, arranged with the fried apples and onions on a dish. In a version common today, the pork belly is fried first in a skillet, and then followed by pieces of tart apples. While the apples are frying, they are mixed with spices and sugar. The apples should soften up before they are done. When ready to serve, either cold or hot, the pork and apples are mixed and

rugbrød (, ) is a very common form of rye bread from Denmark. usually resembles a long brown extruded rectangle, no more than high, and long, depending on the bread pan in which it is baked. The basic ingredient is rye flour which will produce a p ...

is offered on the side. In alternative versions, the apples are cooked in water instead and the pork belly is prepared in the oven. ''Æbleflæsk'' is often enjoyed with

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

and

snaps In the Nordic countries, especially Denmark and Sweden, but not in Iceland, snaps ( , ), among many nicknames, is a small shot of a strong alcoholic beverage taken during the course of a meal. In Denmark, a snaps will always be akvavit, althou ...

. It is a popular dish for pre-Christmas buffets (''

julefrokost Smorgasbord or Smörgåsbord (, ) is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and mainly cold dishes. It assumed its present form in the 19th century, following old traditions. Smörgåsbord became known in the US ...

''). It is not clear where the dish originated. It is beloved in some regions, such as

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

, while less common in other parts of the country.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aebleflaesk Danish cuisine Bacon dishes

See also

References