Medisterfars Frikadeller
Recipes with Medisterpølse
Frikadeller made from medisterfars, the same seasoned pork mixture used in medisterpølse but without the casing, shaped by hand into flat oval patties and pan-fried in butter. These are not meatballs in the Italian sense but a distinct Danish preparation: flatter, wider, and cooked until the exterior is heavily browned. The allspice and clove seasoning that defines medisterpølse carries through directly into the frikadeller. This is the simplest version, made when the sausage mix is on hand and no casings are.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients
- 600 g coarsely minced pork shoulder (about 20% fat content)
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp cold sparkling water or cold milk
- 50 g butter for frying
Steps
Combine the minced pork, allspice, cloves, white pepper, and salt in a bowl. Work the spices through the meat with your hands. Add the egg and flour and mix until just combined. Add the sparkling water or milk a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the mixture holds together but is still soft. Do not overwork: the texture should be loose.
Shape the mixture into oval patties about 8 cm long and 1.5 cm thick. Wet your hands to prevent sticking. The traditional shape is flattened, not round. Make 8 to 10 patties from this amount.
Melt the butter in a large heavy frying pan over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add the frikadeller in a single layer without crowding. Fry without moving for 4 to 5 minutes until the underside is deep golden brown.
Flip and cook the second side for 4 to 5 minutes. Press lightly with a spatula to ensure good contact with the pan. The patties are cooked when the sides show no translucency and the internal temperature reaches 72°C.
Serve with boiled potatoes, braised red cabbage, and the pan juices spooned over. A spoonful of brown sauce made from the butter and meat drippings left in the pan finishes the plate.
Tips
The flour and egg bind the mix just enough to hold the oval shape. Too much flour produces a dense, doughy result. Cold liquid — sparkling water or cold milk — keeps the fat in the mince from warming and helps the frikadelle stay light. Fry in batches if the pan is crowded: overcrowding drops the temperature and the patties stew instead of fry.