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Meals · Roasts, ribs & slow cooker

Pinnekjøtt (Norwegian steamed cured lamb ribs with swede mash)

54

Christmas Eve dinner in western Norway: dried, salted lamb ribs steamed for hours over birch sticks until the meat slides off the bone, with sweet swede mash and boiled potatoes. Start the morning of the day before: the ribs soak overnight and into the next day, about 30 hours in all, and that soaking is not included in the time here.

Time
215 min (25 prep + 190 cook)
Servings
4
Per serving
758 kcal
Protein
45 g

Ingredients

Pinnekjøtt

  • 3 1/2 lb on the bone lamb shoulder, pinnekjøtt (dried, salted lamb ribs), split along each rib; only the meat you eat is counted
  • none to add salt, the cure salt that stays in the soaked ribs

Kålrotstappe

  • 2 2/3 lb rutabaga, swede (rutabaga), peeled and in chunks
  • 3 medium carrots, in chunks
  • 1 medium potato, peeled, in chunks
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup beef broth, the salty steaming liquid from the ribs, not bought broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt, only if it needs it after the liquid goes in
  • a good grating nutmeg
  • a pinch white pepper

To serve

Steps

  1. Start the morning of the day before you want to eat: split the rack along each rib if it is not already, cover the ribs with plenty of cold water and leave them to soak overnight and into the next day, for about 30 hours (the soaking is not counted in the time above). They get milder the longer they soak.
  2. Lay a metal rack or a layer of barkless birch sticks in a wide pot and fill with water to just below the rack. Stack the ribs on top, cover tightly and steam over low heat for about 3 hours, until the meat comes easily off the bone. Check every half hour that the pot has not boiled dry and top up with hot water if needed.
  3. After about 2 hours, boil the swede, carrot and potato in unsalted water for 30–35 minutes, until very soft.
  4. Drain the vegetables and let them steam dry for a couple of minutes, then mash until as smooth as you like. Beat in the butter and the steaming liquid, a spoon at a time, tasting as you go. Season with nutmeg and pepper, and salt only if it needs it.
  5. Meanwhile boil the potatoes in unsalted water until tender and drain.
  6. If you like a crisp finish, lay the ribs on a rack under a hot grill for about 5 minutes. Serve with the kålrotstappe and potatoes, and a little of the steaming liquid in a jug. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge; reheat the ribs in a little steam so they stay moist.

Good to know

How long should it soak?

About 30 hours is the Norwegian rule of thumb, but it varies with how dry the meat is and how thick the ribs are, and lukewarm water speeds it up. If you are unsure, cook a small piece and taste it: if it is still too salty, soak on in fresh water.

Cream in the swede mash?

Many families stir in more butter and a splash of cream. Taking the butter to 40 g makes it richer, for about the same score.

What goes on the table with it?

Often vossakorv or other coarse sausages, steamed on top of the ribs for the last 15–20 minutes, and a glass of aquavit or Christmas beer for the adults.

Per

Calories
103
Protein
(24%)
6 g
Fat
(41%)
5 g
Carbohydrates
(35%)
10 g
of which sugar
3 g
Fiber
2 g
Sodium
148 mg

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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 3032 kcal goes into the pot and 3034 g of ingredients comes out as about 2930 g of food: 103 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.