Finnish Reindeer Slow-Cooked (Printer-friendly)

Tender reindeer meat cooked slowly with savory onions and creamy finish, paired with lingonberries.

# What You Need:

→ Meat & Dairy

01 - 1.76 lb reindeer meat, thinly sliced (substitute venison or beef if unavailable)
02 - 2 tbsp butter
03 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
04 - ⅔ cup sour cream

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

05 - 2 medium onions, finely sliced
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 1¼ cups beef or game stock
08 - ⅓ cup water

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 5 juniper berries, lightly crushed (optional)

→ For Serving

13 - 3.5 oz lingonberry preserves or fresh lingonberries
14 - Mashed potatoes

# Steps:

01 - Melt butter and vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
02 - Add sliced reindeer in batches, browning lightly on all sides. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, cook onions until soft and translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
04 - Return the browned meat to the pot. Stir in salt, pepper, bay leaves, and juniper berries.
05 - Pour in stock and water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally until meat is very tender.
06 - Remove lid and cook uncovered for 10 minutes to slightly reduce the liquid.
07 - Stir in sour cream and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until heated through. Adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle stew over mashed potatoes and garnish with lingonberry preserves for a traditional finish.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The sour cream transforms everything into silky comfort while the lingonberries cut through with just enough sharpness to keep it interesting.
  • It tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but it comes together in under two hours.
  • Once you taste real reindeer this way, you'll understand why people get genuinely excited about it.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step—it feels like it takes forever, but it's building the foundation of all the flavor that will make people ask for seconds.
  • Sour cream can split if it hits a rolling boil, so keep the heat gentle at the end and fold it in rather than stirring aggressively.
  • The lingonberries aren't optional if you want the real thing; their tartness is what elevates this from just another stew to something with actual character.
03 -
  • Buy your reindeer or venison from a specialty butcher who can slice it properly for you—it makes the cooking process infinitely easier and more reliable.
  • If your stock is unsalted, taste carefully at the end and season more generously than you think you need to; stew needs bold seasoning to sing.
  • The stew reheats beautifully, and honestly improves after a day in the fridge when the flavors have time to meld and deepen.
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