About this Dish
Sautéed reindeer — thin slices of reindeer meat pan-fried in butter until lightly browned, served with mashed potato, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber. The dish of Lapland, eaten in log cabins and reindeer herding communities across northern Finland. Reindeer meat is exceptionally lean, mild and slightly gamey — unlike any other meat. A dish inseparable from the landscapes of the Arctic north.
IngredientsServes 4
🦌Reindeer meat, 600g thinly sliced (or shaved frozen, semi-thawed)
🧈Butter, 60g
🧅Yellow onion, 1 large, thinly sliced
🍺Dark beer or water, 150ml
🧂Salt and black pepper, to taste
🥔Floury potatoes, 800g peeled and cubed
🥛Warm whole milk, 100ml
🫙Lingonberry jam, 4 tablespoons
🥒Pickled cucumber, sliced, to serve
Method
1
Slice the reindeer meat as thinly as possible — ideally 2–3mm. If using a frozen block, let it half-thaw and shave it with a sharp knife, which is the traditional Lappish method and gives the best texture.2
Melt half the butter in a wide, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and just beginning to colour, then push it to the side of the pan.3
Turn the heat to high, add the remaining butter and fry the reindeer slices in batches — don't crowd the pan. Toss them quickly for 1–2 minutes per batch until just lightly browned on the edges; reindeer is very lean and will toughen if overcooked.4
Return all the meat and onion to the pan, pour in the beer or water, season well with salt and pepper, and let everything simmer together on low heat for 10 minutes so the flavours come together and the liquid reduces to a light, buttery sauce.5
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in well-salted water until completely tender, about 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly, then mash with the warm milk and a generous knob of butter until smooth and creamy. Season to taste.6
Serve the sautéed reindeer with its pan juices spooned over the mashed potato, a good spoonful of lingonberry jam on the side, and sliced pickled cucumber. The sweet-sharp jam and cool cucumber cut through the richness of the butter and the gamey depth of the meat.User Reviews
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