Dinner on Christmas Eve in Norway can vary from region to region. In the East, many will eat pork roast - or “ribbe”, which is much like the Danish flæskesteg. In the South, fish is common - lutefisk and cod. And in the North, they eat ribs of mutton (Pinnekjøt).
Norwegian Christmas dinner: Regional delights
by Sara, 29 November 2015
Ribbe
Ribbe is essentially pork belly or ribs with the skin and fat (the rind) left on. This is a very fatty piece of meat that is not commonly found in stores in the US. At least, we’ve never been able to easily find one in the meat counter. You may have to do a bit of extra work to get this dish on your table. But trust us, it’ll be worth it.
Medisterkaker
These are not your typical IKEA Swedish meatballs. First of all, they are Norwegian, and second are much more flavorful, savory, and juicy. The Norwegian name for these is "medisterkaker". They are made from pork and not beef, and are large flat patties fried on a pan. They very much resemble the Danish meatball known as 'frikadeller.' In fact, we would go as far as to say that the Danish and Norwegian meatballs are exactly the same.
Each family throughout these two countries have their own recipe for it. They may seem easy to make, but it takes years of trial and error to get that exact flavor you are looking for.
Lutefisk
Lutefisk is an acquired taste. It’s usually made from dried cod, rehydrated in a bath of lye and water. There are people that loathe this dish due to its spongy texture, odor, and oily flavor. Yet, it remains a part of the traditional christmas dinner, and many Norwegians (and some Swedes and people in Minnesota) still eat it with great pleasure. It’s served with mashed potatoes, mashed peas, bacon, bacon grease and mustard.
Preparing your own lutefisk requires a great deal of work, and we recommend you skip this step. The fish will need to be dried, which requires very specific conditions and takes a long time. Afterwards, you’ll need to be rehydrate it in lye for two days, rinse it off, and then place it in fresh water for two days.
The sides
The sides for the Norwegian dinner on Christmas Eve are pretty simple. Any of the meat dishes are usually served with regular boiled or mashed potatoes and red and white cabbage (sauerkraut).
For a wonderful pickled red cabbage, you can follow our recipe. Or, if you want to keep it easy, purchase it at you local grocery store. It’s usually available in the international isle. We’ve frequently bought the German brand Kuhne, and it does the job. Add a little bit of sugar and cinnamon while heating it if you want to beef up the flavor. If you insist on a Scandinavian brand, you’ll have to order it from one of the online Scandinavian food stores.
The desserts
Some Norwegians eat risalamande, which is also common in Sweden (ris a la malta) and Denmark. Others serve multekrem, a creamy dessert made of whipped creme, sugar and cloudberries—some also use vanilla. This dessert is best if made just before serving - luckily it takes just 10-15 minutes to prepare.
Cloudberries are considered the king of all berries. They are expensive, hard to come by, and wanted by everyone. Most families will use a cloudberry jam for this dish, but if you can find fresh cloudberries, use them just the way they are.
IKEA sells a perfectly fine cloudberry jam and the Scandinavian food stores also stock up on them. You are not likely to find them in your local grocery store, though.
Given that this dessert is basically just heavy whipping creme, you don’t want to think about the calories that you are taking in. But, then again, isn’t Christmas the one day we don’t have to care about calories?
Pinnekjøt
Pinnekjøt is made from the ribs of mutton and roughly translates into ”stick meat”. Mutton is the meat of an adult sheep. While it’s possible to make this dish from a rack of lamb ribs, it doesn’t offer the exact same taste as if it’s made from the ribs of mutton. However, getting your hands on a rack of mutton, is not easy as it’s not commonly sold in the US.
If you have managed to secure a rack of mutton ribs, we’re sorry to say that your challenge doesn’t end here. Pinnekjøt will need to be cured, dried, and smoked, which will take you weeks to do. If you manage to get through this step, you are in luck because the dish is actually fairly easy to cook—that is, if you have the birch sticks necessary to cook it with.
Contrary to what most people believe, this dish doesn’t get its name from the way it looks, but rather from the birch sticks on which it’s cooked. These sticks also help to give the meat a slightly minty flavor. Unfortunately, birch sticks are not easy to find in the US—we’ve had no luck so far. If you’re really dedicated, you could make some yourself from birch. Just make sure you get rid of all the bark.
Here’s how you secure your ribbe:
A first option is to ask your local butcher if they can get a pork belly or ribs off the bone for you - with the rind left on it. They usually will be able to handle this request, though some butchers may not be willing to sell meat with the rind on. Getting the rind is key to getting the crackling on top—the most delicious part.
To get a good crackling, the skin will need to be scored. Scoring is essential to get a crispy crackling. It allows for the release of steam, which would otherwise be trapped under the skin and produce rubbery crackling. Some butchers may be willing to score your skin, but not all.
If you end up having to score the skin yourself, use a utility knife. The skin can be extremely thick. We recently bought two pork loins with the rind on for Danish roast pork (flæskesteg), and none of our knives worked to cut the skin—no matter how sharp. It resulted in a trip to Home Depot to find a heavy-duty utility knife. It did the deed.
To get the traditional Norwegian look, score the skin in squares a little less than one inch apart. Remember not to cut into the meat as it can result in the loss of flavor and moisture. Once your meat is scored you’re ready to cook it.
If you don’t have a local butcher, you can alternatively order your ribbe online. Just remember that the online sites have deadlines for when the last order can be placed. This is usually by mid-December. Scandinavian Butik sells a 6-7 lbs ribbe for $59 and Willy’s Products sells 5.5 - 6lbs roast for $50 and Willy’s Products sells three different sizes (small, medium, and large) from about $30 and up.
When ordering online these stores all require that perishables be shipped by next day or 2nd air—this can significantly run up the price by $45-50 depending on shipping method. Some may also charge extra for handling and the use of dried ice. So, it may make most sense to explore your local butcher options first.
At Scandinavian Living, we’ve decided that this is all too much work. Instead, we cheat a bit and buy our pre-made pinnekjøt at Scandinavian Butik. They sell a 5 lbs bag for $120—while a bit pricey, this will serve about 5-6 people. They are cured, dried and ready to cook.
We’d highly recommend you find a basic recipe you like and then start playing around with your own flavors.Some families add nutmeg and ginger in their medisterkaker, while others add curry.
For Christmas, medisterkaker is served alongside ribbe or pinnekjøt with potatoes and gravy. However, during the year medisterkaker is also served as a stand alone dish. In the summer, many families play up their medisterkaker with fresh ingredients like spring onions or parsley and serve it with potato salad.
Luckily, all this work is not necessary as lutefisk is fairly easy to get a hold of in the US. You can purchase a package of lutefisk at Willy’s Products for $15, or for $20 at Norsland Lefse and Walleye Direct. Olsen Fish Company in Minnesota prides themselves on their lutefisk and even offer a lutefisk Hotline!
Lutefisk is such a solid tradition that a complete book was written about it. Check out The Last Word on Lutefisk: True Tales of Cod and Tradition.
The Norwegian way of eating usually means piling you plate with the meat and the sides, and then poring a delicious gravy over. Add some lingonberry jam, and enjoy! Lingonberry jams have become fairly common in the US and can be bought in many grocery stores, but if yours should end up not selling it, get it from IKEA or one of the Scandinavian food stores.