Hakkebøf med bløde løg

Ingredients

Patties

• 800 gminced beef, coarse ground
• not too lean
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 1 teaspoonblack pepper
• butter, for frying

Soft onions

• 4large onions, sliced
• 60 gbutter
• 1 teaspoonsugar
• a pinch of salt

Gravy

• 2 tablespoonsplain flour
• 400 mlbeef stock
• 1 tablespoonsoy sauce, optional
• a splash of cream, optional
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• boiled potatoes
• pickled beetroot
• 4fried eggs, optional
• pickled cucumber

Directions

1. Slice the onions thinly and evenly. Melt the butter in a wide pan. Add the onions and the pinch of salt. Salt draws water out and helps them soften. Cook them over a very low heat.
2. Stir them once every few minutes. Give the onions at least thirty minutes. Add the sugar halfway through. That helps them colour and sweeten. Keep them warm while you cook the meat. Shaping the patties takes a light hand. Season the mince with salt and pepper.
3. Mix it just enough to distribute the seasoning. Do not work the mince hard at all. Divide it into four even portions. Shape each into a thick round patty. Aim for about two centimetres thick. Press a shallow dimple into the centre. The dimple keeps them lying flat. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Get it properly hot before the meat goes in.
4. Lay the patties in without crowding. Fry them for about four minutes. Do not press them down at all. Turn each of them over once only. Give them another four minutes. Cut one open or use a thermometer. Lift them out and keep them warm.
5. Keep the pan and its browned bits. Sprinkle the flour into the fat. Stir it and cook it for one full minute. Add the stock gradually while whisking. Let it simmer for about five minutes. It should thicken to a pouring consistency.
6. Add soy sauce for colour and depth. Add a splash of cream if you like. Season it with salt and pepper. Fry an egg for each person if you want. Serving it is done hot on plates.
7. Set one patty on each warm plate. Pile the soft onions over the top. Set a fried egg on top if using one. Pour the hot gravy around the patty. Serve boiled potatoes alongside. Add pickled beetroot to the plate. It keeps two days refrigerated.

Technique

• The onions are the point of the dish: cooked slowly for thirty to forty-five minutes until completely soft and pale gold, never browned hard, since high heat browns them before their sugars caramelise and the result is bitter rather than sweet.
• The patty is plain minced beef with salt and pepper only, no breadcrumb, egg or onion mixed in, which is what distinguishes it from a Danish frikadelle.
• Minced beef should be cooked right through, since grinding spreads surface bacteria through the meat, unlike a whole steak.

Substitutions

• Any coarse-ground beef around fifteen percent fat works; very lean mince gives a dry hard patty.
• The fried egg is optional, and that version is called med spejlaeg.

Variations

• Some kitchens serve it with pickled cucumber as well as beetroot.
• A version with a fried egg on top is equally standard.
• Bof med log without the gravy is the plainer relative.

History

A classic of Danish lunch restaurants and home kitchens, served with pickled beetroot and a fried egg on top.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hakkebøf med bløde løg?

Hakkebøf med bløde løg is a main from Denmark: thick beef patty with soft browned onions, gravy and boiled potatoes. A classic of Danish lunch restaurants and home kitchens, served with pickled beetroot and a fried egg on top.

How long does Hakkebøf med bløde løg take to make?

Hakkebøf med bløde løg takes 20 minutes of preparation and 45 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 4. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Hakkebøf med bløde løg?

Yes, within limits. Any coarse-ground beef around fifteen percent fat works; very lean mince gives a dry hard patty. The fried egg is optional, and that version is called med spejlaeg.

What is the most important thing to get right in Hakkebøf med bløde løg?

Mix it just enough to distribute the seasoning. Do not work the mince hard at all. Divide it into four even portions. Shape each into a thick round patty. Aim for about two centimetres thick. Press a shallow dimple into the centre. The dimple keeps them lying flat. Melt the butter in a heavy pan. Get it properly hot before the meat goes in.