Kålpudding - Beef with cabbage

This is a dish that is really easy to prepare. The challenge is to make an appetizing presentation given that the colour pallette is brown. I served it with sugar snaps to get a little green on the plate. Avoid the lingoberry jam if you're planning on accompanying it with wine. For any of the drinks usually accompanying Sweidsh plain food, e.g. water, milk or beer, lingonberry jam works great.

  • 500 g beef, minced
  • 75 g bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 dl pearl barley
  • 1000 g Cabbage, sliced into thin strips
  • 2 tblsp dark syrup
  • Butter for frying
  • Salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Blanch the cabbage for 10 minutes in salted water.
  2. Drain the cabbage.
  3. Fry the cabbage in butter until it starts to brown.
  4. Add the syrup and continue frying for a few minutes.
  5. Boil the barley in salted water until tender.
  6. Fry the onion in butter until lightly brown.
  7. Mix the barley, onion, bacon, beef and the egg to a medium batter.
  8. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
  9. Mix in one third of the cabbage to the batter.
  10. Spread half of the remaining cabbage on a greased ovenproof tin.
  11. Spread the beef batter on top.
  12. Spread the remaining cabbage on top of the beef batter.
  13. Bake for 45 minutes at 200 degrees centigrades. Reduce the heat slightly if the top gets too brown for your taste. The top should be browned, though. It pronounces the earthy taste of the cabbage.

Serve with lingonberry jam or a nicely dressed leafy sallad.