The Best Cozy Nordic Pot Roast

The Nordic pot roast is in my opinion, the ultimate hygge or comfort food. Slow braised beef with potatoes, carrots, and onions. A balance of sweet and tangy sauce lended from the brown sugar and vinegar. And the smell of warmed spices fill the house with the most amazing aromas. My fiancé came home when i was making this and immediately said “oh my god, what is that!”

This is a super flavorful twist on what we in America normally just call a pot roast. And I find it to be far superior. Now, I call this a Nordic pot roast because it can’t really be pinned down to any one country. I will say that it is a revered enough dish however that the Swedish have their own version called a “Swedish royal pot roast” or Slottsstek. This recipe has the presence of allspice in it, whereas being a Norwegian American myself, we lean a bit more into the nutmeg for this.

Cold Months

The Nordic pot roast is becoming something I crave more and more in the fall and winter months as it reminds me of the comfort of a warm home while its cold outside. And it’s such an easy dish to throw together when you may not have time to really focus on dinner. All you need is 20 minutes of your time to prep and then you just let it do its thing and fill your home with alluring smells.

The fun thing about this dish is that it is also fairly versatile. You can skip the potatoes and enjoy it over the top of some delicious mashed potatoes or my personal favorite, colcannon. Colcannon is simply mashed potatoes with kale. It’s an addicting way to eat mashed potatoes. And having those potatoes to create a perfect soaking mechanism for the gravy is just unbeatable. Especially as a fantastic entree on the holiday dinner table.

For those with a Crock Pot/ Slow cooker

This dish may also be done in a slow cooker for those not in possession of a dutch oven. To do so simply follow the initial cooking steps in a pot on the stove up until the deglazing. Then simply add everything to the slow cooker. Cook for 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high. To make the sauce thicker using this method, do the same as you would in the dutch oven and add a tablespoon of roux in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Cooking the Nordic Pot Roast

Turn oven on to 325°F

Place a medium sized pot or dutch oven onto the stove over a medium-high heat. Add the oil and butter to the pot. Season the shoulder round with salt, place it into the pot, and brown on all sides. Remove the shoulder from the pot and set aside.

Now add the bacon, garlic, and onion to the pot. Stir occasionally and cook for 3 minutes. Next add the nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and brown sugar. Stir until fully combined and then add the beef stock and apple cider vinegar. Scrape the bottom to deglaze. 

Now add the carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and rosemary to the pot. Cover and place it into the oven. 

Cook for 3 hours.

Once it has finished cooking allow to cool on the stove top for 10 minutes before serving. It goes very well as a stand alone dish because of the multitude of flavors and items in it. But, it can also pair well with a few other things to keep that cozy feeling going. 

And if you want a little extra boost of flavor, 30 minutes before everything is done cooking, add a tablespoon of roux to make a richer more gravy like sauce. 

Now add on some dessert

• Mulled wine poached plums
• Spiced Apple Scones
• Pumpkin Pie