European Beef & Lamb Recipes
A tour of Europe through beef & lamb: 50 authentic dishes, each tied to a real country and region, each with its cultural story and dietary swaps built in.
50 recipes · showing 1 to 48
Gulyás (Herdsman’s Goulash)Great Hungarian Plain, Hungary · easy · 2 hThe original goulash: a paprika-red beef and vegetable soup-stew born over open fires on the Hungarian plain.
Gulyás (Herdsman’s Goulash) BorschtPoltava, Ukraine · medium · 1 h 25 minThe famous beet soup, sweet-sour and garnet-red, ladled over beans and finished with dill and sour cream.
Borscht Tagliatelle al RagùEmilia-Romagna, Italy · medium · 2 h 50 minBologna’s slow-simmered meat sauce folded through fresh ribbon pasta, the dish the world calls "bolognese," done right.
Tagliatelle al Ragù Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)Skåne, Sweden · medium · 55 minSmall allspice-scented meatballs in cream gravy with potatoes and lingonberries, Sweden’s definitive comfort plate.
Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs) Wiener SchnitzelVienna, Austria · medium · 40 minVienna’s golden icon: a thin cutlet in a puffed, wavy breadcrumb crust, fried in butter and finished with lemon.
Wiener Schnitzel Carbonnade FlamandeFlanders, Belgium · easy · 2 h 50 minBeef braised in dark Belgian beer with onions and a mustard-slathered slice of bread, sweet-sour, deep, and made for frites.
Carbonnade Flamande MoussakaAttica (Athens), Greece · advanced · 2 hLayers of eggplant and cinnamon-scented lamb under a deep duvet of béchamel, baked bronze.
Moussaka ĆevapiSarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina · easy · 40 minHand-rolled grilled beef fingers tucked into pillowy somun with raw onion and kajmak, Sarajevo’s pride.
Ćevapi Risotto alla MilaneseLombardy (Milan), Italy · medium · 40 minSaffron-gold risotto mounted with butter and Parmigiano until it flows like lava, Milan’s luminous classic.
Timpana (Baked Macaroni Pie)Valletta, Malta · advanced · 2 h 15 minTubular pasta in a rich meat-and-tomato sauce, bound with egg and cheese and baked inside a pastry case until golden, then cut into slabs.
Timpana (Baked Macaroni Pie) Dalmatinska PašticadaDalmatia, Croatia · advanced · 12 h 10 minBeef larded and marinated in wine and vinegar, then braised a full day with prunes into a sweet-dark Adriatic feast.
Dalmatinska Pašticada RinderrouladenRhineland, Germany · medium · 2 h 30 minThin beef rolled around mustard, bacon, onion, and pickle, braised into a deep gravy, Sunday dinner across Germany.
Rinderrouladen Bœuf BourguignonBurgundy, France · medium · 3 h 30 minBeef braised in Burgundy red wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and bacon until the sauce turns to velvet.
Bœuf Bourguignon Tavë KosiTirana, Albania · medium · 1 h 20 minLamb and rice baked under a tangy, set yogurt-and-egg custard, Albania’s national comfort dish.
Tavë Kosi Beef StroganoffMoscow, Russia · medium · 45 minSeared strips of beef and mushrooms in a mustard-spiked sour cream sauce over noodles, 19th-century Moscow at its most elegant.
Beef Stroganoff Irish StewMunster, Ireland · easy · 2 h 20 minA gentle, honest stew of lamb, potato, and onion slow-simmered into pure comfort.
Irish Stew FårikålVestland (Bergen), Norway · easy · 2 h 15 minNorway's national dish: lamb and cabbage layered with whole peppercorns and simmered until tender.
Fårikål MiciTransylvania, Romania · easy · 8 h 35 minSkinless grilled minced-meat rolls seasoned with garlic and spice, Romania's smoky, garlicky barbecue staple.
Mici FrittatensuppeVienna, Austria · easy · 40 minClear beef broth poured over ribbons of sliced savory pancake, a classic Viennese starter and light lunch.
PylsurReykjavík, Iceland · easy · 20 minIceland's lamb-based hot dog with crispy and raw onions, remoulade, and a sweet-brown mustard, a Reykjavik institution.
Pylsur KibinaiVilnius, Lithuania · medium · 1 h 10 minGolden hand pies of flaky pastry stuffed with seasoned minced meat and onion, a Karaim specialty of Lithuania.
Kibinai Karađorđeva ŠniclaŠumadija (Belgrade), Serbia · advanced · 45 minA breaded, rolled veal or pork cutlet stuffed with rich kajmak, sliced to reveal a molten centre, a Serbian showpiece.
Karađorđeva Šnicla PelmeniMoscow, Russia · medium · 1 h 15 minSmall dumplings of thin dough around a juicy meat filling, boiled and served with sour cream, a Russian staple.
Punjene PaprikeCetinje, Montenegro · medium · 1 h 25 minBell peppers stuffed with spiced rice and meat, braised in tomato sauce, a comforting Montenegrin household staple.
Punjene Paprike SupplìVatican City, Vatican City · medium · 50 minFried risotto rice croquettes with a molten mozzarella centre, the Roman street snack found around the Vatican.
Supplì PljeskavicaŠumadija (Belgrade), Serbia · easy · 2 h 35 minA hand-wide disc of seasoned minced meat grilled over charcoal until crusted and juicy, served in lepinja flatbread with onion, kajmak, and ajvar.
Karjalanpaisti (Karelian Hot Pot)North Karelia, Finland · easy · 3 h 20 minFinland's national dish: cubes of beef and pork layered with onion, bay, allspice and peppercorns and slow-braised in the oven until meltingly tender, served with potatoes and lingonberry.
Karjalanpaisti (Karelian Hot Pot) Scotch BrothScotland (Moray Coast), United Kingdom · easy · 4 h 20 minA thick Scottish one-pot soup of lamb on the bone, pearl barley, split peas, and winter root vegetables, simmered until a spoon can stand in it.
Scotch Broth Svíčková na smetaněBohemia, Czechia · medium · 3 h 30 minLarded beef braised with root vegetables, then blended into a velvety sweet-sour cream sauce, served with bread dumplings, cranberry and a swirl of whipped cream.
Svíčková na smetaně Kjøttkaker i Brun SausVestland (Bergen), Norway · medium · 1 h 5 minLarge, flat Norwegian beef meat cakes bound with potato flour and milk, browned and stewed in a glossy brown gravy, with boiled potatoes and lingonberry.
TafelspitzVienna, Austria · medium · 3 h 30 minViennese boiled beef gently simmered with root vegetables into a clear broth, sliced and served with apple-horseradish and chive sauces.
Berner PlatteBern, Switzerland · medium · 3 hBern's great festive platter: boiled beef, smoked pork, bacon and sausage heaped over sauerkraut, dried beans and potatoes.
Berner Platte Bosanski LonacSarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina · easy · 4 hThe "Bosnian pot": chunks of beef and vegetables layered raw in a tall pot and slow-cooked for hours into a rich stew.
Sogan-dolmaSarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina · medium · 1 h 50 minA Sarajevo trademark: single onion layers wrapped around spiced minced beef and rice, braised soft and served with sour cream.
KjötsúpaReykjavík, Iceland · easy · 1 h 35 minIceland's beloved lamb-and-root-vegetable soup: bony lamb simmered with potato, carrot, swede and cabbage.
HangikjötReykjavík, Iceland · medium · 2 h 45 minIceland's Christmas centerpiece: smoked lamb gently boiled and sliced, served with béchamel, potatoes, peas and pickled red cabbage.
Turli TavaSkopje, North Macedonia · easy · 2 h 30 minA Macedonian clay-pot bake of mixed summer vegetables and meat, slow-roasted together until everything melts into one dish.
Turli Tava Njeguški StekCetinje, Montenegro · medium · 40 minMontenegro's signature steak: a thin veal or pork cutlet stuffed with Njeguši prosciutto and cheese, pan-seared until the cheese melts.
KleftikoNicosia, Cyprus · easy · 5 h 20 minCyprus's celebrated slow-roasted lamb: sealed with lemon, garlic, oregano, cinnamon and potatoes until it falls off the bone.
Kleftiko Tavë me PreshPristina, Kosovo · easy · 1 h 35 minA Kosovar leek bake: sweet caramelised leeks layered with paprika-spiced minced meat and slow-baked in one dish.
Tavë me Presh Speca të MbushuraPristina, Kosovo · medium · 1 h 45 minBell peppers stuffed with beef and rice, baked upright in tomato sauce until the skins slump and the rice plumps.
Saltimbocca alla RomanaVatican City, Vatican City · easy · 25 minThin veal cutlets layered with prosciutto and sage, pan-fried in butter until they "jump into the mouth."
ShchiMoscow, Russia · easy · 2 h 50 minOne of Russia's oldest soups: sauerkraut and cabbage simmered with beef into a tangy, comforting bowl finished with sour cream and dill.
Bitterballen (Dutch Beef Ragout Croquettes)Gelderland, Netherlands · advanced · 8 h 45 minBite-sized balls of thick, savoury beef ragout, chilled until firm, breaded twice and deep-fried until crisp outside and molten inside, served with mustard and a cold beer.
Bitterballen (Dutch Beef Ragout Croquettes) Lihapiirakka (Finnish Fried Meat Pie)North Karelia, Finland · medium · 2 h 25 minSoft yeasted dough folded around a filling of minced beef, onion and rice, deep-fried until golden and eaten hot with mustard and ketchup, the Finnish kiosk classic.
Arancini al Ragù (Sicilian Fried Rice Balls)Sicily, Italy · advanced · 4 h 20 minSaffron rice balls packed around a meat ragù with peas and a cube of caciocavallo, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried golden, the king of Sicilian street food.
Groentesoep met Balletjes (Dutch Vegetable Soup with Meatballs)Gelderland, Netherlands · medium · 3 h 30 minA clear beef broth simmered from shank and marrow bones, filled with finely cut soup vegetables, tiny nutmeg-scented meatballs and vermicelli, the Dutch starter of birthdays and Sundays.
Frieten (Belgian Twice-Fried Chips)Flanders, Belgium · medium · 1 h 25 minThick-cut Bintje potatoes fried twice in beef fat, first low until soft, then hot until crisp and golden, shaken with salt and served in a paper cone with a dollop of mayonnaise, as at every Belgian frietkot.
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