This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how various countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
Imagine my daughters’ joy of partaking in the, now annual, tradition of pulling out various countries from Santa’s hat, wondering what I might possibly make for them to try. Now, imagine as joy turns to sheer terror as my 9 year old pulls out, and proudly announces, Greenland. I was fairly certain of what protein would be involved in a winter meal. She asked, so I informed her that it’s probably going to involve reindeer! NNNNNOOOOOOOO, she cried out.
This Christmas meal does, in fact, incorporate what I could get my hands on: venison. The meal itself is called Suaasat and is the national dish of Greenland. It can be made with seal or whale (other common ingredients in these very northern locations) and, by using venison, is more akin to a beef and barley soup. Even my 9 year old forgot the terror she initially felt after I browned the venison and mushrooms. So, try to get your hands on some deer and make this dish.
Suaasat
2 venison steaks, cubed into rough 1-inch chunks
½ lb wild mushroom medley
2 onions, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 tbsp minced fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme, & sage
6 cups beef stock
2.5 cups water
6 oz dried cherries
1 cup pearl barley
1 lemon, zested
Season the meat with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a dutch oven, over medium-high heat, and brown the meat, about 8 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a platter and add the mushrooms to the pot with a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring nearly frequently until the mushrooms release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and add to the reserved venison.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the diced vegetables, with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook over medium heat until just beginning to soften. Stir in the herbs and cook until fragrant.
Then, add in the reserved venison and mushrooms along with the stock and 3 cups of water. Stir the browned bits off the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the barley and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered for 30 minutes.
Add in the lemon zest and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes, covered, over medium-low heat. After 30 minutes, check to ensure the barley is tender. If so, taste for any seasoning needs and serve.
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Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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