Baeckaoffa (Alsatian Pork, Lamb & Beef)

Baeckaoffa means “baker’s oven” in Alsatian dialect, and the name tells the story. Traditionally, Alsatian households would prepare this layered meat and potato casserole the night before, then bring it to the village baker to slow-cook in the residual heat of the bread ovens while the family spent the day doing laundry.

Three meats — pork shoulder, lamb shoulder, and beef — get cut into chunks and marinated overnight in Alsatian white wine (Riesling or Sylvaner) with garlic, thyme, parsley, and cracked peppercorns. That overnight marinade is what makes the dish. The wine tenderizes the meat and seasons it through before it ever sees the oven.

Layers of sliced potato and onion alternate with the marinated meat in a buttered earthenware pot. The marinade pours over everything, and then the lid gets sealed with a paste of flour and water — a simple luting paste that traps all the steam inside for two hours of perfectly moist, slow cooking.

Serve straight from the pot with a green salad.

Pro Tips

• Plan ahead: the overnight marinade is essential and cannot be rushed
• The flour-water luting paste is traditional and genuinely improves the result; it forces all the steam back into the dish
• Use a true earthenware or heavy ceramic casserole; it distributes heat more gently than metal
• Don’t skip the salt and pepper between layers — seasoning throughout makes a notable difference

Variations

• Use all Riesling for a more fragrant, slightly floral result
• Add a layer of sliced leeks alongside the onions for a sweeter, more complex flavor