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Kalops
Kalops: Swedish beef stew with allspice and bay, served with boiled potatoes and pickled beetroot
Kalops is the Swedish winter stew that fills kitchens from Skåne to Norrland on dark November weekends: chunks of beef chuck simmered slowly with onions, carrots, whole allspice and bay until the sauce turns brown, glossy and lightly peppery. It is always eaten with plain boiled potatoes and a spoonful of sweet pickled beetroot (inlagda rödbetor), whose sharpness cuts the richness. It reheats beautifully, so many families make it a day ahead. The usual mistake is crowding the pan when browning, so the beef steams grey and the sauce never gets its deep colour; brown in batches. Chef's tip: crush half the allspice berries lightly before they go in so the warm clove-like scent reaches the whole pot, but leave the rest whole for a gentler background note.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb beef chuckcut into 4 cm cubes
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 onionscut into wedges
- 3 carrotscut into 3 cm chunks
- 2 ½ cups hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
To serve
- 1 ¾ lb potatoes (a mealy variety)peeled
- 7 oz pickled beetroot
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Pat the 2 lb beef chuck dry with kitchen paper and toss it with the 2 tbsp cornflour.
5 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two or three batches, 4–5 minutes each, until dark brown on at least two sides. Lift each batch onto a plate.
15 minStep 4: Lightly crush half the 12 whole allspice berries. Return the beef with all the allspice, 3 bay leaves, 6 white peppercorns, 2 ½ cups hot water, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp white wine vinegar. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat.
3 minStep 5: Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until a cube of beef breaks apart with a fork. Slow-cooker option: transfer after step 4 and cook on low for 8 hours.
105 minStep 6: Meanwhile boil the 1 ¾ lb potatoes (a mealy variety) in salted water for 18–20 minutes until a knife slides in easily, then drain.
20 minStep 7: If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Taste for salt, fish out the bay leaves and serve with the potatoes, 7 oz pickled beetroot and 2 tbsp fresh parsley.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kalops take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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