A deeply savory Karelian oven stew of three meats braised overnight with allspice and root vegetables until fork-tender, the ultimate Finnish slow-cooked comfort food.
Tarvittavat välineet
oven, cast iron pot, dutch oven
Cut all three meats into large 4cm cubes. There is no need to brown them first for this traditional recipe.
Layer the meat, sliced onions, and chunked carrots in a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven.
Tuck bay leaves, allspice berries, and peppercorns among the layers and season with salt.
Add water until it comes about halfway up the ingredients.
Cover tightly with a lid and place in a 150C oven.
Cook for 4-5 hours, or traditionally overnight at 125C for 8 hours, until all the meats are fall-apart tender.
The broth will be rich and deeply flavored from the three meats. Skim excess fat if desired.
Serve hot with boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam, as every Karelian grandmother would insist.
Säilytysohjeet
Refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezes exceptionally well for 3 months. The flavor only improves with time. Reheat in oven at 150C for best results.
Kulttuurinen tausta
This overnight version of Karjalanpaisti is the most traditional preparation — placed in the oven before bed and ready by morning. Karelian evacuees spread this recipe across Finland after WWII, and it became a symbol of resilience and home.