Ingredients
Meat
- 3 kgsalted and dried lamb ribs, pinnekjøtt, cut between the bones
To soak
- cold water
Steaming
- birch sticks, debarked, or a metal steaming rack
- water
To serve
- kålrabistappe, mashed swede
- boiled potatoes
- the cooking liquid as gravy
- akevitt and beer
Optional
- pork sausage, medisterkake
Directions
- Cut the rack between the bones into individual ribs if the butcher has not done it. Put the ribs in a large bowl or pot and cover them completely with cold water. Soak them for 30 hours, changing the water two or three times. Do not shorten the soak.
- Taste a small piece of the soaking water after 24 hours, or fry a scrap of the meat. Tasting is the only reliable test, because ribs vary in how heavily they were cured.
- Lay debarked birch sticks in a criss-cross lattice in the bottom of a large heavy pot. Peel the bark off the sticks. Pour in water to just below the level of the sticks. The water must not touch the meat.
- Pack the ribs on top of the sticks, bone side down, in layers. Cover the pot tightly and steam over a low heat for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours. Keep it at a steady gentle steam rather than a hard boil, and check the water level every 45 minutes.
- Top up with boiling water rather than cold, which would stop the cooking. Never let the pot boil dry, which burns the sticks and ruins the whole thing.
- Strain the liquid from the bottom of the pot and use it as the gravy. Taste that liquid before serving it.
- Serve with kålrabistappe, mashed swede with a little of the cooking stock, and boiled potatoes. Households divide firmly along regional lines about which of the two is correct.
Technique
- The sticks are usually reused within a season and are part of the household’s Christmas equipment.
- Some cooks now steam it in the oven in a covered tray, which works.
- Leftovers are excellent fried the next day.
Substitutions
- A metal steaming rack in place of birch sticks, which loses the faint resin note.
- A large covered roasting tin in the oven with water beneath a rack.
Variations
- Smoked pinnekjøtt, which is stronger and needs longer soaking.
- Served with medisterkake, pork patties.
- Steamed in the oven rather than on the hob.
History
Salted and dried lamb ribs steamed over birch sticks, the western Norwegian Christmas main; the sticks give the dish its name.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pinnekjøtt?
Pinnekjøtt is a main from Norway: salted lamb ribs steamed over birch twigs at Christmas. Salted and dried lamb ribs steamed over birch sticks, the western Norwegian Christmas main; the sticks give the dish its name.
How long does Pinnekjøtt take to make?
Pinnekjøtt takes 20 min plus 30 hr soaking of preparation and 3 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Pinnekjøtt?
Yes, within limits. A metal steaming rack in place of birch sticks, which loses the faint resin note. A large covered roasting tin in the oven with water beneath a rack.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pinnekjøtt?
Cut the rack between the bones into individual ribs if the butcher has not done it. Put the ribs in a large bowl or pot and cover them completely with cold water. Soak them for 30 hours, changing the water two or three times. Do not shorten the soak.
