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1
Brown the Meats
15 Mins • Hands On
Medium-high heat, pan about 190°C (375°F)
Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef and pork chunks in batches, 2–3 minutes a side, until dark brown all over. Lift each batch out to a plate — the meat does not need to be cooked through yet.
Crowding the pot is the most common mistake — the meat steams and goes grey instead of brown.
Done when: Meat is dark brown outside, and the pot has browned bits on the bottom.
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2
Soften the Onion and Bacon
10 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Lower the heat, add the bacon lardons and the sliced onions, and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and the bacon has given up its fat. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot as you stir.
Those browned bits are flavour — scrape them up, do not scrub them away.
Done when: Onions are soft and sweet, bacon is lightly coloured, pot bottom is clean.
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3
Add Stock and Braise the Meat
90 Mins • Mostly Hands Off
Low heat, lazy simmer about 95°C (203°F)
Return the beef and pork to the pot with the bay leaves, cloves and peppercorns. Pour in the 600 ml beef stock — it should come about halfway up the meat. Bring to the barest simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 90 minutes, stirring every half hour.
A rolling boil toughens the meat — the surface should barely tremble.
Done when: Meat is starting to soften and the broth smells of bay and clove.
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4
Add the Vegetables
45 Mins • Mostly Hands Off
Low heat, gentle simmer about 95°C (203°F)
Add the potatoes, carrots, turnips and leeks to the pot, then lay the cabbage ribbons and halved sprouts on top. Push everything gently under the broth, cover again, and cook for 40–45 minutes more, until the potatoes are soft and the meat falls apart at the touch of a fork. The meat must be hot all the way through.
Put the cabbage on top, not underneath — it steams gently and keeps its colour.
Done when: Potatoes are soft, vegetables are tender, meat shreds easily with a fork.
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5
Shake, Rest and Serve
10 Mins • Hands Off
Off the heat, resting, about 85°C (185°F)
Take the pot off the heat and give it a few gentle shakes — this is the 'hutsen' that gives hutsepot its name, crushing the potatoes a little against the sides for a rustic texture. Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the salt, then rest for 10 minutes before serving straight from the pot.
Shake gently: you want the potatoes crushed, not the whole pot mashed.
Done when: Potatoes are lightly crushed at the edges, meat is tender, broth is light and savoury.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Shake the pot gently so the potatoes crush a little against the sides, rest for 10 minutes, and serve straight from the pot with mustard on the table.
Belgium
1h
