They say that Estonians are the most stationary nation in Europe – thousands of years ago, our forefathers gathered on this land and decided to stay. We carry with us traditions and wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation. The roots of our story go way back. now wwe look back and appreciate our old recipes and ancient customs. We want to prepare traditional dishes in a way that all Estonians know and love while also adding a contemporary touch.
Stewed beef that was seasoned with exotic spices was a common festive dish in medieval Livonian towns. The Baltic German cuisine included quite a few beef recipes – braised beef, roast beef, beef in cream, beefsteak. Peasants were more used to stewing beef from an older animal in a Dutch oven overnight. Beef was stewed with cabbage, other vegetables were added only in the 20th century.
- Course: main
- Serves: 6
- Preparation time: 45 min
- Cooking time: 2,5-3 h
- Difficulty: medium
Ingredients
600 g beef neck
3 carrots (~200 g)
3 parsnips (~250 g)
1 medium-sized celeriac (~450 g)
5 stalks of celery
3 onions (~200 g)
5 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of thyme
2 bay leaves
400 g crushed (tin) tomatoes
2 litres stock
2 tbsp flour
Salt
Pepper
Directions
- Wash and peel the vegetables. Chop into large pieces, approximately 4 x 3 cm. Halve garlic cloves or leave whole as you prefer.
- Cut the beef neck into big chunks, about 100g pieces.
- Use beef or vegetable stock, according to taste. Preferably natural, homemade stock.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. Fry in a pan with oil until brown on both sides. When the meat is evenly cooked, add flour and continue frying for a couple of minutes. Finally, pour in 200-300 ml of stock.
- Place the vegetables and herbs into an oven pot, season with salt and crushed pepper. Pour the meat and flour mix on top and add crushed tomatoes. Shake the pot to distribute all of the components evenly. Pour the stock on top, covering the components at least 2cm.
- Put the lid on the oven pot and place it into a preheated oven (180 ºC) for about 2,5-3 hours. Let the food cook without mixing.
- The dish is ready when the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix carefully, trying not to crush the vegetables.
- Serve as portions or place the pot in the middle of the table for everyone to serve themselves.
Photos by: Johannes Hõimoja
