Delicious and juicy meatloaf with just the right taste. Classic Danish meatloaf tastes really good and is also a cheap dinner for the whole family. Served with classic Danish side dishes and lots of gravy, then it doesn’t get much better. If you want to see how to make Danish “forloren hare” from scratch, read along here and get our recipe.
Forloren hare ala Denmark
Most Danes will call this dish “Forloren hare”. I grew up with the name “farssteg”, it is my mother’s version of the classic Danish dish.
It’s all about a good meat mixture, either pure pork, minced veal and pork, or a mixture of minced pork and minced beef. In my recipe, I use a mixture of pork and beef, which I think gives the best taste and structure in the finished meatloaf.
We serve meatloaf with potatoes, caramelized potatoes, steamed vegetables, and lots of that really good gravy. And for those of us who love gravy, this is one of the really good ones! When there is meatloaf on the menu at our house, the children really eat a lot and almost always ask for a spoon for the gravy.
Personally, I think that oven-roasted meatloaf is comfort food, it fills you up nicely and tastes really good. And then there is just something cozy about it, when the smell spreads in the house until mealtime, then you can really go and look forward until the food is on the table.
Typically, we eat meatloaf at weekends, partly because it takes a little time to cook, but it also gives us more time to enjoy the food with the kids, when homework and bedtime are not a factor.
If you’ve never tried Danish forloren hare before, get started! I’m sure you’ll like it, and you can always vary the sides to suit your own taste.
The leftover meatloaf is perfectly suited as cold cuts in thin slices, and otherwise, you can always freeze the leftovers, so you have easy and delicious food in no time for another day.
Ingredient notes
Bacon – Bacon must be mixed with the meat and on top of the meatloaf. Bacon gives a slightly smoky and salty taste to the dish.
Ground beef and pork – Yes, I do it that way, and so does my mother. It gives a good taste and a firm meatloaf. You can use ground veal and pork, or pure ground pork if you prefer.
Salt and pepper – The meat must be seasoned well. If necessary, fry a small test portion in the pan or in the microwave and then taste the meat before shaping the meatloaf.
Cayenne pepper – Gives just a little heat without being strong at all.
Eggs – Eggs are needed to bind the meat together.
Onion – Grated onion gives a lot of delicious flavors, onion powder can be used instead.
Breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs, together with salt, helps bind the liquid in the meat mixture and make it firmer.
Whipped cream – Cream is the liquid in the meat mixture and gives flavor, juiciness, and fatness.
Water – Forms together with the drippings from the roast, the framework for the sauce.
Stock – Here it’s just a cube, pork or beef.
How to make Danish meatloaf?
Here is a short overview of how to make the best meatloaf with the perfect brown gravy.
It’s a bit of work, but once the food is on the table, it’s worth all the work.
Lightly sear the bacon cubes in a pan and then set aside. While the bacon cubes cool down, the ingredients for the meatloaf are mixed together and finally, the seared bacon is added and mixed in.
The stuffing is shaped into a loaf and placed in an ovenproof dish. Place slices of bacon over the meatloaf and place it in the middle of the preheated oven. After fifteen minutes, the heat is reduced and water is added to the dish, the water forms the basis for the gravy later.
When the meatloaf has been in the oven for almost an hour, or the core temperature is 75 degrees Celcius, the liquid from the dish is poured into a pot where it must be transformed into a delicious gravy. Put the dish back in the oven if the bacon still lacks a little color.
The rest of the ingredients for the sauce are now added to the poy with the liquid from the roast, and it is then thickened with a mixture of cornstarch and a little water. Finally, season the sauce with salt and pepper.
The meatloaf is cut into suitable slices and served with potatoes, caramel potatoes, peas, currant jelly, and the delicious gravy.
Find the full recipe further down this page.
Frequently asked questions
You can store the leftovers in the fridge for a few days, or freeze them as well. This also applies to the gravy.
Yes, it can. For example, you can freeze it in slices, then it is easy to pick up a few slices and heat them.
Other Danish recipes you might like
- Danish breaded pork patties (krebinetter)
- Danish turkey stew
- Danish beef patties with caramelized onions
- Danish hash (biksemad)
- Danish roast pork with crackling
Tips and tricks for the recipe
- Try frying a “small” portion to check whether the meat is properly seasoned before shaping the meatloaf.
- Use a thermometer to check the core temperature so you’re sure it’s cooked all the way through before you take it out of the oven.
Serving suggestions
- Serve with white potatoes, danish caramel potatoes, green peas, and the lovely brown gravy. Redcurrant jelly is also delicious with this dish.
- Serve with a nice kale salad with apples and walnuts if it needs to be a little lighter than the classic Danish side dishes.
Do you love Danish food? Try our recipe for Danish breaded pork patties (krebinetter)
Recipe for delicious meatloaf
Here you get the recipe for a completely classic Danish meatloaf. Juicy meat, lots of flavors and served with the perfect brown gravy, it doesn’t get much better. Serve with boiled potatoes, caramelized potatoes, peas, currant jelly, and plenty of brown gravy.
“Forloren hare” is really comfort food for a cool autumn day, and we hope you will want to try the recipe and serve it to your family.
Danish meatloaf
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 150 g bacon cut into fine cubes
- 500 g ground beef
- 500 g ground pork
- 2.5 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion grated
- 2 dl breadcrumbs
- 1.5 dl whipping cream
- 12 slices bacon
- 5 dl water
Gravy
- 2 dl whipping cream
- 1 pork stock cube or beef
- 1 tbsp gravy browning
- 1 tbsp currant jelly
- ½ tsp red wine vinegar
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch as well as a little water
Instructions
- The oven is preheated to 230 degrees Celcius and set up for normal heat.
Meatloaf
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Fry bacon cubes it lightly on a hot pan. It should not brown but just have a little heat. When it is finished, set it aside.150 g bacon
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Put ground beef and pork in a large bowl, add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and mix it thoroughly.500 g ground beef, 500 g ground pork, 2.5 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
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Then add grated onion, breadcrumbs, whipped cream, eggs, and the bacon cubes you just heated.2 eggs, 1 onion, 2 dl breadcrumbs, 1.5 dl whipping cream
- Stir the meat mixture thoroughly until it has become a smooth mince without lumps.
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Then form a meatloaf, and place slices of bacon on top. Then place the loaf in an ovenproof dish.12 slices bacon
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Place the dish with the meatloaf in the middle of the preheated oven and cook it now for 15 minutes at 230 degrees Celcius. Then add water to the dish and lower the heat in the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.5 dl water
- Now the meatloaf has to be cooked at 180 degrees Celcius for approx. 45 minutes, or until the core temperature is 75 degrees Celcius.
- When the time is up, take the dish out of the oven and pour the liquid into a pot. The dish can then be placed in the oven again if the bacon on top lacks a little color.
Gravy
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Bring the liquid from the dish to a boil and add cream, gravy browning, stock, red wine vinegar, and redcurrant jelly. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.2 dl whipping cream, 1 pork stock cube, 1 tbsp gravy browning, 1 tbsp currant jelly, ½ tsp red wine vinegar, Salt, Pepper
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In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and a little water, and whisk it into the sauce to thicken it.1.5 tbsp cornstarch
- When the sauce is thick and delicious, it is poured into a preheated bowl or into a sauce can and placed on the table.
- Remove the finished meatloaf from the oven and now cut it into suitable slices.
- Serve gravy and slices of meatloaf together with potatoes, caramel potatoes, green peas, and red currant jam.
Nutrition
How do you like the recipe?
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