Skånsk Kalops (Scanian Beef Stew) Recipe
Tried it? Rate this Recipe:
|
Category: |
Category: |
|
Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 2 lbs (900 g) stewing beef, cut into 1½-inch cubes
2 Tbsp butter (or half butter, half oil)
2 large yellow onions, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced into thick coins
2 cups beef stock or water
1 Tbsp flour (optional, for thickening)
8–10 whole allspice berries
2 bay leaves
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar (traditional Scanian touch)
To serve:
• Boiled potatoes
• Pickled beets or cucumbers
|
|
Directions: |
Directions:1. Brown the meat: In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and brown the beef cubes in batches until well-colored. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté the vegetables: Add onions to the same pot and cook until translucent. Add carrots and sprinkle flour if using, stirring to coat.
3. Simmer: Return beef to the pot. Add stock, allspice, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a simmer.
4. Cook low and slow: Cover and simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the flavors are rich and mellow.
5. Serve: Taste for seasoning. Serve hot with boiled potatoes and a side of pickled beets or cucumber salad.
⸻
Notes:
• The allspice is essential — its warm flavor defines kalops.
• For a heartier winter version, add a splash of cream at the end.
• In old Scanian farm kitchens, the stew was often cooked in the bread oven overnight, developing a deep caramelized richness. |
|
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: This slow-simmered stew is a cornerstone of southern Swedish home cooking. Kalops originated in Skåne’s 18th-century manor kitchens, where British culinary influences (from the word “collops,” meaning meat slices) met hearty farm ingredients. The dish quickly became a national comfort food — tender beef simmered with onion, carrot, and the distinctive sweet warmth of allspice and bay leaf. In Skåne, it’s served with boiled potatoes and pickled beets, often on chilly autumn evenings when buttered rye bread and candlelight complete the table.
Recipe adapted from The Swedish Table by Helene Henderson (Ten Speed Press, 2005) and traditional Scanian home recipes recorded in Svenska Husmanskostens Historia by Tore Wretman (1967).
|
|
This recipe for Skånsk Kalops (Scanian Beef Stew) is from