Stegt Flaesk

5 from 2 votes

Grilled Pork Belly in Parsley Sauce, also called Stegt Flaesk from Denmark, is a dinner platter that is perfect for a night in. The potatoes and pork belly create a hearty base for the dish, while the Parsley Sauce adds a nice, light finish to the top. Travel to Denmark from your kitchen with this delightful recipe!

Course Main Course, meat, potatoes

Cuisine Danish, Denmark

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 50

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 1245kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ½ lb pork belly cut into slices about 6 inches long and ⅓ inch wide
1 tbsp olive oil
2 lb petite gold potatoes sub fingerling potatoes or Kipfler Potatoes if you have access to them
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk whole or 2%
¾ tsp Salt + more to season pork belly
¼ tsp black pepper (Use code FF20 for 20% off)
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch nutmeg
1 cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Pork Belly Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Lay 1.5 lb pork belly pieces evenly on a baking sheet and drizzle one side with olive oil.
Rub 1 tbsp olive oil to coat the pieces, and then sprinkle with salt. Flip the pieces and repeat with olive oil and salt on the other side.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook the pork belly for 20 minutes on one side, then flip and bake for 20 minutes on the other side. Flip once more and bake for another 10 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy. You may need to pour off some extra liquid from the baking sheet when you go to flip the pieces. Doing so will allow the meat to crisp up.

Potatoes Instructions

While the pork belly is cooking, wash 2 lb potatoes and place them in a large pot filled with water.
Place the pot on the stove over high heat and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a boil.
Boil for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a knife (time may change depending on the type/size of potato you choose, so begin checking the potatoes for tenderness around 15 minutes). Once cooked, drain the potatoes.

Parsley Sauce Instructions

In a medium pot, melt 2 tbsp butter.
Once melted, add the ¼ cup flour to the butter, and stir to form a paste. This is what will thicken your sauce.
Pour 2 cups milk into the pot little by little, whisking it with the contents of the pot as you go.
Once all of the milk is added, continue stirring the sauce for about 5-10 more minutes until it starts to thicken.
Add ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 tsp lemon juice, and a pinch of nutmeg to the milk and whisk to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Add the 1 cup of chopped parsley and mix one more time.

Assembly Instructions

To assemble, lay the potatoes on your plate. Place the crispy pork belly next to the potatoes, and then drizzle everything with the Parsley Sauce. This dish is often served alongside pickled beets. Enjoy!

Notes

Parsley Sauce: The parsley sauce begins with a blonde roux (the easiest of roux) and then mixes with milk and parsley to create a delectable sauce that coats the dish. Do not skip the nutmeg in the parsley sauce, it changes the taste of the dish so much and really elevates the flavor.
Pork Belly: I was able to find pork belly from my local butcher and I’ve also heard you can find it at Costco. The belly came in a large slab, and I had them shave me off about 1 pound, which I later cut into strips myself. Pork belly, when baked in the oven, will result in a meat dish that is reminiscent of thick bacon. The pork belly is vital to this dish so I would recommend using it if you can, but if you can’t find pork belly, here are 10 Pork Belly Substitutes.
Potatoes: Danes typically use Kipfler Potatoes for this recipe, a variety of potato popular in Germany and Denmark. The skin and interior of Kipfler potatoes are yellow. I was not able to find Kipfler potatoes, so I used Petite Gold instead. You can also use fingerling potatoes if you so desire.
Milk: I used whole milk for my version of this recipe, and this is what I would recommend. Using a full-fat version of milk will create a thick and delicious roux!
Using skim milk in your recipe could result in a watery roux.
You can lay the pork belly on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet or also try cooking it on a wire rack. This will succeed in cooking the pork belly just as well.
When making the Parsley Sauce you can also use a wooden spoon to mix. This will help break up any lumps left over from the flour. You want to make sure that your sauce is lump-free!
Once you remove the potatoes from the stove, you can run them under a bit of cold water. Make sure the cold water is just enough to cool the potatoes down so that you can remove them from the water and cut them without burning your hands. Too much cold water and your potatoes will be cold when you serve your dish.
Add a little extra flavor to your pork belly by sprinkling it with sea salt the night before. In the morning pat away any excess liquid with paper towels and let the meat come to room temperature before cooking.

Nutrition