Norwegian Christmas: Crispy pork belly

Ribbe, crispy Norwegian Christmas pork belly

Main dishes

The Norwegian Christmas rib: a pork belly that is salted for 2-3 days, then steamed before being roasted in the oven until the skin is crispy.

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In Norway, ribbe is the most popular Christmas dish: a pork roast consisting of a whole pig, including its ribs and skin, which is first steamed under aluminum foil, then roasted uncovered until the skin becomes crispy.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time20 min
  • Cook time2 hr 30 min
  • Resting48 hr
  • Total50 hr 50 min
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostModerate
  • Cooking methodfour
  • Estimated cost$18.52 $3.09 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.

Ingredients

6 people
  • $18.28
  • $0.08
  • $0.16

Prices from US supermarkets for 1 of 3 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Using a sharp knife, cut the hide into regular diamond shapes, all the way down to the fat. ≈ 3 min
  2. Salt, pepper, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
  3. Place the pork belly skin-side up in a large baking dish, on a turned-over plate so that the fat can drain. ≈ 3 min
  4. Pour the water and cover the dish as tightly as possible with aluminum foil. ≈ 3 min
  5. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes in the center of a preheated oven at 230 °C.
  6. Remove the aluminum foil, reduce the oven temperature to 200 °C (400 °F), and roast for 1 to 1.5 hours, adding water to the dish if needed.
  7. Let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting into the desired shapes.

The bill

Ribbe, crispy Norwegian Christmas pork belly

  • 1.5 kg of pork shoulder with ribs and skin$18.28
  • 2 tablespoons of salt$0.08
  • 1.5 teaspoons of pepper$0.16

Total$18.52

that's $3.09 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Before you start

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg of pork shoulder with ribs and skin
  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons of pepper
  • 150 ml of water

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