Sailor's beef - sailor's thigh

Sjomansbiff, also known as sailor's beef, is a traditional recipe with a captivating story. It has its origins in the age of sailors when they sailed on ships and had a limited supply of fresh water. Instead, beer was abundant, thus becoming the key ingredient for preparing this delicious dish.

To prepare Sjomansbiff, start by choosing a piece of high-quality beef. Cut the meat against the grain into thick slices of about 1 cm. These slices should be thick enough to remain juicy during cooking. After cutting the meat, dust each slice with flour, ensuring it is well coated, then fry them in a pan with butter or hot oil until they turn a golden brown, appetizing color.

Once the meat is fried, transfer the slices to a high-sided pan. Now, prepare a beef bone broth: either using a traditional recipe or using powdered beef broth, which is a quick and practical option. In another pan, sauté a little onion in the bone broth until it becomes soft and fragrant.

After the onion is ready, add it to the meat in the pan. Pour in enough beer to cover half of the meat and onion, then add the bone broth until all the ingredients are completely covered. Add two or three bay leaves to enhance the flavors and let everything simmer on low heat. It is important for the dish to simmer slowly so that the meat becomes extremely tender, almost melting in your mouth.

For the side dish, cut the potatoes into thick slices of 2-3 cm. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the potatoes, frying them on high heat until they acquire a nice color. Then, pour in enough beer to cover half the amount, followed by the bone broth, add bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Let the potatoes simmer slowly on low heat until they become soft and well-cooked.

The dish is served with a fresh green salad or pickled cucumbers to add a pleasant contrast. A variation of the recipe is to use bollito meat, which requires pre-cooking in a pressure cooker to become tender. In this case, boil the meat for 30 minutes, drain the broth, and then follow the usual preparation steps. This recipe evokes family memories and culinary traditions, turning every meal into a memorable experience.

 Ingredients: beef pulp flour, butter or oil meat broth beer bay leaves onion (I didn't add) for garnish potatoes, green salad or pickles

 Tags:  onion greenery meat potatoes unt flour oil life cucumbers