18th Dish Karjalanpaisti (Karelian Meat Stew) from Finland.

This was surprisingly good! The reason I say surprisingly is because there’s not that many ingredients and it doesn’t take a lot to put this dish together. The stews we cook in the UK tend to have a thicker gravy and this was rather watery, but if you serve this with Mash as recommended then I think you’re onto a winner. 

Ingredients

400g pork
500g beef
(400g lamb, if you wish)
butter
2 - 3 onions
2 laurel leaves
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
approximately 1-liter water

Method

Cut the meat evenly into small cubes. Brown the meat cubes in butter on a hot frying pan or in a saucepan. Place the browned meat into an ovenproof dish (with a lid). Cut the peeled onions in half and add to the dish. Add as much water as is needed to cover the meat. Add the seasonings.

Place the dish into an oven (250 degrees Celsius) without the lid and allow the meat to brown slightly. Stir the meat, add some water if needed and place the lid on top of the dish. Lower the heat to 150 – 175 degrees Celsius and allow the stew to simmer for at least 2 - 3 hours.

I did use all three types of meat, which I’m never done before but it worked! However, I think the real secret of this dish it to allow plenty of time for it to cook.

We scored this 9 out of 10, another one to add to our recipe book!

Ammo