A celebrated stew from the Bavarian Forest region, Pichelsteiner is a German one-pot dish (Eintopf) made from several kinds of meat and a variety of vegetables layered and stewed together.
A clean, comforting broth threads through tender chunks of three meats and soft, distinct vegetables. Each spoonful tastes of one ingredient at a time, layered into a homely, satisfying whole.
Layering the ingredients raw and never stirring lets each component cook in place and retain its individual texture and flavor, while the slow simmer melds them through a shared broth.
Variations
Single-meat versions, with green beans, Regensburg variant, with marrow bones
On the Palate
Where Pichelsteiner sits in the German flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 30 min
- 112 min
Cut beef, pork, and lamb into cubes and season with salt and pepper.
- 215 min
Peel and slice potatoes, carrots, leeks, celeriac, and cabbage.
- 35 min
Render a little beef marrow or fat in the base of a heavy pot.
- 48 min
Layer the meats and vegetables in the pot, seasoning between layers.
Watch outLayer everything raw and neat — this dish never gets stirred, so build the layers you want to keep.
- 53 min
Pour in beef stock until the ingredients are nearly covered.
- 65 min
Cover tightly and bring to a gentle simmer.
Watch outKeep it at a bare, lazy simmer — a hard boil churns the layers and muddles everything together.
- 7120 min
Braise slowly without stirring so the layers hold their shape.
Watch outResist stirring — lift the lid to check but let the layers set so each piece stays whole.
- 82 min
Sprinkle with parsley and serve straight from the pot.
