Three Meat Stew with Vegetables (Pichelsteiner)

This is the stew that warmed Bavarian farmhouses through long winters, and it hasn’t lost a step in over a century.

Pickelsteiner works on a beautiful principle: layer seared meat and diced vegetables in alternating tiers, pour in stock, seal the lid, and let time do everything else.

Three meats (pork, beef, and mutton) each bring their own character to the pot. The potatoes and root vegetables absorb the rich, meaty broth as it simmers, and a touch of marjoram ties everything together with its warm, piney fragrance.

The rule is simple: don’t stir. Just tilt the pot now and then to circulate the liquid, and trust the process.

Kitchen Tips

• End with vegetables on top. The top layer must be potatoes and vegetables, never meat. This protects the meat from drying out and creates a steamy cap that bastes everything below.
• Don’t stir, tilt. Stirring breaks the layers apart and can cause the bottom to stick. A gentle tilt of the pot every 30 minutes keeps the liquid moving.
• Try adding bone marrow. For the traditional gourmet version, sauté 6 to 8 slices of bone marrow with the onions and tuck them into the middle layers. The richness is extraordinary.

Variations

• Add savoy cabbage. Thinly sliced savoy cabbage layered with the other vegetables adds a sweet, earthy dimension that’s traditionally Bavarian.
• Swap in kohlrabi. Peeled and diced kohlrabi works beautifully alongside or in place of the celeriac.
• Double the batch. This stew reheats even better than it tastes fresh. Make extra and thank yourself tomorrow.