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Medisterkaker
Spiced pork patties
Medisterkaker: soft Norwegian Christmas pork patties with nutmeg and ginger
On Christmas Eve in eastern Norway the main dish is ribbe, crackling pork belly, and on the same platter come medisterkaker: soft, pale pork patties seasoned with nutmeg, ginger and white pepper, fried in butter and then simmered gently in the ribbe juices. They are made from medisterfarse, a fine pork mince lightened with milk and potato starch, and are just as popular on ordinary weeknights with brown gravy. Chef's tip: beat the mince with the milk a little at a time until light and sticky, as this is what makes the patties so tender.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb minced pork (about 20% fat)
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp potato starch
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 cup cold water or plant milk
- 2 tbsp lard or oilfor frying
- 1 ¼ cups pork or chicken stock
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb minced pork (about 20% fat) and 1 ½ tsp salt in a food processor or mixer and beat for 1 minute, until sticky.
2 minStep 2: Add 2 tbsp potato starch, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground white pepper and 1 pinch ground cloves, then add 1 cup cold water or plant milk a few spoonfuls at a time, beating well each time, until the mixture is light, soft and smooth.
6 minStep 3: With wet hands, shape into 18 slightly flattened patties about 6 cm across.
Step 4: Fry in 2 tbsp lard or oil over a medium heat for 3 minutes a side, until browned. Don't crowd the pan.
12 minStep 5: Pour in 1 ¼ cups pork or chicken stock, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until a thermometer in the centre of a patty reads 160°F and no pink remains. A common mistake is frying them hard all the way through, which makes them dry and rubbery.
10 minStep 6: Serve with ribbe, sauerkraut (surkål), red cabbage and boiled potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does medisterkaker take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground ginger?
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger per ¼ tsp ground.
- What can I use instead of ground cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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