Swedish Pork Hock with Root Mash and Mustard

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Cozy Nordic comfort: tender, fall-apart pork with a velvety, buttery rutabaga mash.
• Simple ingredients, big flavor: allspice, bay, and onion build a deeply savory broth.
• Balanced and satisfying: sweet root veg, rich pork, tangy mustard, and bright pickled beets.
• Make-ahead friendly: the pork and broth reheat beautifully for an easy weeknight treat.

Grocery List

• Produce: Rutabaga (kålrot), potatoes, carrots, yellow onion, leek, fresh parsley
• Dairy: Unsalted butter, heavy cream
• Pantry/Butcher: Bone-in pork hock (fläsklägg), bay leaves, whole allspice, whole black peppercorns, kosher salt, ground white pepper, grainy mustard, pickled beets

Full Ingredients

Pork Hock & Broth

• 1.2–1.5 kg bone-in pork hock (fläsklägg), rinsed (about 2.6–3.3 lb)
• 2.5 liters cold water (about 10 cups), plus more as needed
• 1 large yellow onion, halved
• 1 small leek, rinsed well and cut into 5 cm/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

Rotmos (Rutabaga–Potato–Carrot Mash)

• 900 g rutabaga (about 2 lb), peeled and cut into 2.5 cm/1-inch cubes
• 400 g floury potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and cubed (about 14 oz)
• 300 g carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices (about 10.5 oz)
• 60 g unsalted butter (4 tbsp)
• 120 ml heavy cream (1/2 cup), warmed
• 60–120 ml hot pork broth (1/4–1/2 cup), as needed
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• Optional: 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

To Serve

• 240 ml hot pork broth (1 cup), plus more if desired
• 1/2 cup grainy mustard
• 1/2 cup pickled beets, sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Start the hock in cold water and skim

Place the rinsed pork hock in a large heavy pot and cover with 2.5 liters (about 10 cups) cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. As foam rises, skim it off with a spoon for 5–10 minutes to keep the broth clear.

Step 2: Add aromatics and simmer until fall-apart tender

Add the onion, leek, carrots, bay leaves, allspice, peppercorns, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Reduce to a very gentle simmer (surface just shivering), partially cover, and cook 2–2.5 hours, turning the hock once or twice, until a knife slides in easily and the meat wants to pull from the bone.

Step 3: Strain and reduce the broth

Lift the hock to a tray and tent loosely with foil to rest. Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot; discard the spent aromatics. You should have about 1.5 liters. Boil to reduce to roughly 1 liter (4 cups), 10–15 minutes, for a more concentrated flavor. Taste and season with salt as needed, then keep hot over very low heat.

Step 4: Cook the root vegetables

While the broth reduces, place the rutabaga in a large pot, cover with cold lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue simmering until everything is very tender, 12–15 minutes more. Drain well and return the vegetables to the hot pot to steam-dry for 1–2 minutes.

Step 5: Mash and enrich (rotmos)

Mash the vegetables to a rustic texture. Add the butter and warm cream, stirring until glossy. Loosen with 60–120 ml (1/4–1/2 cup) of the hot pork broth to reach a soft, spoonable mash. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg if using. Keep warm.

Step 6: Pull or slice the pork

Remove and discard the skin if you like, then pull the meat into chunky pieces or slice thickly along the bone, removing any tough cartilage. Keep the pork warm by tenting with foil or by ladling a little hot broth over it.

Step 7: Plate and serve with classic sides

Spoon the rotmos into warm bowls, top with the pork, and ladle hot broth around or serve it in a small cup on the side. Add a generous spoon of grainy mustard and a few slices of pickled beets to each plate. Finish with chopped parsley and a crack of white pepper. Serve immediately.

Pro Tips

• If your hock is smoked or pre-salted, start with only 1/2 teaspoon salt in the pot and adjust at the end.
• Keep the simmer gentle; a rolling boil can toughen the meat and make the broth cloudy.
• Cut rutabaga into smaller cubes than potatoes; it takes longer to soften.
• Warm the cream before adding so the mash stays hot and fluffy.
• Skim the broth at the end for a beautiful, clear pour with just a few golden droplets of fat.

Variations

• Pressure cooker: Cook the hock with aromatics at high pressure for 60 minutes, natural release 15 minutes. Reduce the strained broth afterward.
• Smoked hock: Use a lightly smoked fläsklägg for a deeper, ham-like flavor. Reduce salt accordingly.
• Dairy-free: Swap butter and cream for 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened oat milk.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Cool leftovers quickly. Refrigerate pork, rotmos, and broth separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The broth freezes well for up to 3 months; rotmos also freezes up to 2 months (thaw overnight and reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream). Reheat pork in a little broth on the stovetop until hot and tender. Keep mustard and pickled beets refrigerated and serve cold or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 870 kcal; 45 g protein; 55 g fat; 45 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber; 1,600 mg sodium (varies with saltiness of hock and broth reduction).