Karjalanpaisti

Karjalanpaisti (Karelian Hot Pot)

A rustic Finnish braise of beef, pork and lamb slow-cooked with onion, carrot and allspice until the meat is meltingly tender. It is the classic Sunday stew of the Karelian region, traditionally served with boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Prep

20 min

Cook

180 min

Total

200 min

Serves

4 to 6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) beef chuck, cut into 4 cm cubes, well-marbled
• •400 g (14 oz) pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm cubes, boneless
• •300 g (10½ oz) lamb shoulder, cut into 4 cm cubes, boneless; can be replaced with extra beef and pork
• •2 large yellow onions, sliced
• •2 medium carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• •1 tsp whole allspice berries, lightly crushed
• •1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• •2 bay leaves bay leaves
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •500 ml (2 cups) water or mild beef stock, just enough to come halfway up the meat
• •1 tbsp butter, for greasing

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 160 °C / 325 °F (fan 150 °C / 300 °F). Generously butter a heavy Dutch oven or lidded cast-iron casserole.
2. 2 Pat the beef, pork and lamb cubes dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt. Do not brown the meat; traditional karjalanpaisti goes into the oven raw.
3. 3 Layer the ingredients in the pot: start with one third of the sliced onions and carrots, then one third of the mixed meats. Scatter over some of the allspice and peppercorns and a bay leaf. Repeat the layers twice more, finishing with a layer of onion on top.
4. 4 Pour the water or stock down the side of the pot so it reaches about halfway up the layered meat (roughly 500 ml / 2 cups). The meat should not be fully submerged.
5. 5 Cover with the lid and place on the middle rack of the oven. Braise for 3 hours without opening the lid. The meat is safely and properly done when it is fork-tender and pulls apart easily, and the braising liquid has reduced to a glossy, well-flavored gravy. The pork and lamb should reach an internal temperature of at least 75 °C / 165 °F; the beef should reach at least 70 °C / 160 °F.
6. 6 Remove the pot from the oven, fish out the bay leaves, and skim excess fat from the surface. Taste the broth and adjust salt.
7. 7 Serve in deep plates with a generous spoonful of the cooking juices, accompanied by boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam.