Christmas Rib
Photo by Trygve Indrelid / Aftenposten
The Ribbe (roast pork rib) is a classic on the Norwegian Christmas table. The rib, which is actually a whole side of pork rather than just spare ribs, is very rich and juicy and is therefore served with equally rich and juicy trimmings: Cowberry sauce, sauerkraut, potatoes, thick gravy, Christmas sausage, apples and prunes.
Cooking the rib is easy, but the challenge a lot of people face is the art of crisping the rind. The perfect rind should be bubbly and crispy, and almost melt on your tongue. Basically, you want to give the pig a 3rd degree burn.
Many people say it’s a matter of luck to get the perfect crackling, but I have found a method that has never failed me.
First: Use a sharp knife and score the rind into 1-1,5 cm squares, parallel to the ribs. Normally the rind is already scored by the butcher, but they often miss a spot or two. Make sure the rib is properly scored – all the way through the skin and deep into the fat below. Now rub salt and pepper all over the rib, making sure you get deep into the grooves. You can also put cloves in the scores for extra flavour. Leave the rib overnight in the fridge.
Put the rib in an oven pan with the rind side up. Put a small plate or a ball of crumpled tin foil under the rib so it’s higher in the middle. This allows the fat to run off.
Pour 2 dl (abt. 6,5 fl.oz.) of water in the pan and cover the pan tightly with tin foil.
Roast (or rather, steam) the rib at 230 °C (450 °F) for 40 minutes. This will make the rind swell up and get spongy. It looks nasty at this point, but rest assured this is only an intermediate step.
Remove the tin foil and turn oven down to 200 °C (390 °F). Put the uncovered rib back in the oven and roast for an additional 1-1,5 hours (for thin rib) or 2-2,5 hours (for thick rib). This should make the rind bubbly and crispy.
You may find that parts of the rind is still rubbery. If this happens, you can crank up the heat to 250 °C for the last 15 minutes or use the grill – but make sure not to burn the rind!
Better yet (this is one for the men): If you have a heat gun in your tool shed, crack it out and start “blow-drying” the bits that haven’t crisped. You will find the rubbery bits will bubble up and crisp like magic within seconds – but again, make sure not to charcoal the poor thing.
If you want apples, Christmas sausage or prunes as trimmings, you can add these to the pan for the last 20 minutes of cooking. After cooking, let the rib rest to settle the juices.
There you have it – now carve into inch-thick slices and pig out!
On a side note: every Christmas in Norway a “Rib Hotline” is set up by meat experts to provide first aid for desperate Christmas cooks. Last year they had about 800 inquiries.
Subscribe
RSS
A traditional Advent Calendar is made with an orange and cloves.
The Bunad with molded wool, embroidered cuffs and silver stitching is still not complete without its silverwork.
Even though the males are called bulls and the females cows, the muskoxen are more closely related to sheep than cattle. Make no mistake, though – this is not your average cuddly ba-ba-blacksheep! A grown animal can be 2,5 m long and weigh up to 400 kgs, and their long curved horns mean business.
Autumn is Fårikål season in Norway.
Norwegians love their mountainous nature so much they spend whatever time they can in it – for recreation, fitness, hunting or just family time.
Normally the whole family eats the julaften meal at Hans’ aunts, so (fortunately) being a ‘guest’ I haven’t made it myself. It’s a delicious meal though, and one I look forward to! I am saving this page in case I ever have to learn to make it
____________________
from L-Jay:
Ribs is fun to make, especially when the crackling turns out perfect. But I must admit, it tastes even better when someone else makes it…lol.
ñam ñam! (spanish onomatopoeia that means “how delicious look!”)
____________________
from L-Jay:
Ah! We say ‘nam nam’ too!
A heat gun? To prepare part of Cmas dinner? Too funny!
My father-in-law will be up at the crack on dawn on Dec 24 to hand-grind and stuff in casings the Swedish potato sausage we will eat on Christmas Eve! A real change from my ham/turkey days growing up! LOL
____________________
from L-Jay:
Wow, ‘potato sausage’! Never heard of that! But it sounds healthy…lol.
where i live, we have pinnekjøtt for christmas. every christmas, we go to my mil’s place for the dinner and the moment you step into the house, you can smell the pinnekjøtt cooking. so, so good.
i don’t eat meat anymore but luckily i love kålrabistappe so i just stuff myself with that
____________________
from L-Jay:
I find it very interesting how they make pinnekjøtt with the sticks in the pot. I’ve never actually eaten it myself – but I plan to
God jul!
That looks way too delicious! Can I come to your house? LOL! BTW, just go for a longer walk before you eat your Christmas dinner and you’ll be fine. Indulging a bit is OK in my book.
MOose gives this lovely description and yet when I spent julaften with his family 15 years ago or so, I was served Lutefisk.
To make matters worse I didn’t know enough Norwgian at the time to understand when farfar asked if I wanted seconds.
Two helpings of Lutefisk my first Juletid i Norge.
____________________
From Moose:
Oh yes, Farfar tends to mumble at the best of times. I think the phrase every foreigner in Alta should learn is “jeg er mett!”. Even though I love lutefisk I definitely understand when someone doesn’t. It certainly is an acquired taste – I started with just the trimmings for the first few years
What about medisterkaker? Don’t you have those too?
____________________
From Moose:
Oh yes – they are all part of the trimmings. Mmmh… meat with a side of meat. Only in Norway!