Sailor's Beef Casserole

Sailor’s Beef Casserole © kvalifood.com

Sailor’s beef is an old Danish oven dish with thin slices of beef, potatoes, and onions layered in a baking dish — with beer and stock poured over and baked slowly. The dish has its roots in sailors’ provisions: simple, durable ingredients that could look after themselves in a pot below deck. Beer instead of water adds depth and a lightly malty note.

Ingredients

Yields 4 servings

  • 300 g lean beef (rump or silverside), sliced very thin
  • 2 large onions
  • 20–25 g butter (or margarine)
  • 750 g–1 kg potatoes, sliced thin
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • ½ dl dark lager (or pilsner)
  • 1 dl beef stock

To serve

  • salad

Directions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 345°F (175°C). Slice the onions thin. Soften the onions in butter in a frying pan until translucent. Sear the beef slices quickly on a very hot, dry pan — just a fast browning, not cooked through. Remove the beef from the pan.

Layering

Grease a deep ovenproof dish. Layer the potatoes, beef, and onions in the dish. Start and finish with a layer of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper between each layer. Place the bouquet garni in the middle. Pour the beer and stock over everything.

Oven

Cover the dish with a lid or foil. Place in the middle of the oven at 345°F (175°C) for 1 to 1¼ hours. Add a little more stock along the way if the dish looks dry. Remove the lid or foil for the last 15 minutes to colour the surface and reduce the liquid.

Serving

Serve directly from the dish with a salad on the side.

Notes

  • Dark lager is the most historically authentic choice — the mild malt beer was standard aboard Danish ships; pilsner gives a lighter result
  • Always finish with a layer of potatoes on top — it absorbs steam and fat from the layers below
  • Remove the lid or foil for the last 15 minutes to give the surface a little colour
  • The dish can be made in a pot on the stovetop instead of the oven; add a bit more liquid if doing so