sautéed reindeer — Sweden

Sautéed reindeer, known in Sweden as renskav, is made from very thin shavings of reindeer meat, seared quickly in butter and simmered only briefly, since the thinness of the meat means it cooks through in minutes. Allspice or juniper season the pan, and cream is often stirred in near the end for a lighter sauce. The dish is reported in Sápmi communities across northern Sweden, where reindeer herding remains part of the local economy, and it has also spread into wider Swedish home cooking: pre-sliced frozen shavings are sold in supermarkets nationwide, which has made the dish an easy, common weeknight meal well beyond the north. To prepare it, the thin shavings, whether cut at home or bought ready-sliced, are seared in batches over high heat in butter so they brown rather than release too much liquid. A little water or stock is added along with allspice, juniper or black pepper, and the pan is simmered briefly; cream is folded in toward the end in many households for a rounder sauce. Cooks vary the recipe with additions such as sliced mushroom, onion or a dash of soy sauce, and the amount of cream ranges from a splash to a fuller sauce. It is generally served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry preserve, sometimes with pickled cucumber on the side.