Bosanski Lonac

the Bosnian pot: meat and vegetables packed in standing layers into a tall earthenware jar and left in a low oven for half a day, never stirred

Origin: Sarajevo & Bosnia

From the journey of Cabbage.

The rule that governs bosanski lonac is that nothing is stirred. Meat and vegetables are packed into a tall narrow earthenware pot in standing vertical layers, wedged upright against each other so they hold their position; a little water or wine goes in; the lid is sealed with dough or a cloth; and the pot goes into a low oven or the embers for four to six hours. It is brought to the table in the pot and served by digging down through it, so each plate takes a section of the whole column rather than a stirred-together mixture. That construction is the reason for the shape of the vessel. The traditional lonac is tall and narrow-necked rather than wide, so the layers stay stacked and the steam cannot escape; everything cooks in its own liquid and the flavours travel downwards rather than being mixed sideways. Cooks are firm about this, and a lonac that has been stirred is regarded as having been ruined by somebody impatient. Cabbage is the layer that does the structural work. Whole leaves or thick wedges go in between the meat and the root vegetables, and as they collapse they release water and hold the column together; the dish is not a cabbage dish in the way a sarma is, but take the cabbage out and the pot dries and falls apart. Sour cabbage is used in winter and fresh in summer, and the two give noticeably different pots. It is a dish of the whole country rather than of one community, cooked with beef and lamb in Muslim households and with pork added in Catholic and Orthodox ones, and its reputation rests on being the thing you set going in the morning and forget about.

Ingredients

Meat

700 g beef shin or chuck, in large chunks
500 g lamb shoulder, in large chunks
150 g smoked bacon or dry-cured beef, in strips

Vegetables

400 g white cabbage, in thick wedges, or sour cabbage in winter
500 g waxy potatoes, halved
3 carrots, in thick batons
2 onions, quartered
3 long sweet peppers, halved
3 tomatoes, quartered
200 g green beans, topped and tailed
1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 small bunch parsley, whole

Seasoning

2 bay leaves
2.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Liquid

200 ml dry white wine
250 ml water

Method

Choose the tallest, narrowest heavy pot you own with a well-fitting lid. The shape is not incidental: a wide pan lets the layers slump and the dish becomes an ordinary stew.
Season the meat with the salt and pepper and toss it with the bay.
Line the bottom of the pot with the strips of smoked bacon, which render and baste everything above them.
Now build upwards in standing layers, wedging the pieces upright rather than laying them flat: a layer of beef, then cabbage wedges, then lamb, then potato and carrot, then onion, pepper, tomato, and beans.
Push the garlic cloves and the bunch of parsley down the sides as you go.
Pack it tightly. The column should support itself, and gaps are where the pot dries out.
Pour the wine and water down the side rather than over the top, so the seasoning is not washed off. The liquid should come no more than a third of the way up.
Seal the lid with a strip of flour-and-water dough pressed round the rim, or with a double layer of foil under the lid.
Cook at 150°C for four hours, then check by lifting the lid briefly for the first time.
Do not stir at any point. Everything depends on the layers staying where they were put, and this is the instruction Bosnian cooks give first.
If it looks dry, add a splash of hot water down the side; if it looks wet, give it the last hour with the lid ajar.
Give it another hour, then bring the pot to the table and serve by digging straight down through the layers so each plate gets a cross-section, with bread alongside.

Notes

A tall narrow pot and no stirring are the two things that make this bosanski lonac rather than a stew. Earthenware is traditional and holds a gentle heat well, but any deep heavy casserole with a good lid will do. Seal the lid: the dish cooks in its own steam and a leaky pot needs constant topping up, which dilutes it. Use very little liquid to start with, since the vegetables release a great deal. Sour cabbage in place of fresh gives the winter version and is sharper and better with pork. It is better on the second day and reheats in the same pot.

The Gastrographer

Name: Bosanski Lonac
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Sarajevo & Bosnia
Ingredients: 700 g beef shin or chuck, in large chunks; 500 g lamb shoulder, in large chunks; 150 g smoked bacon or dry-cured beef, in strips; 400 g white cabbage, in thick wedges, or sour cabbage in winter; 500 g waxy potatoes, halved; 3 carrots, in thick batons; 2 onions, quartered; 3 long sweet peppers, halved; 3 tomatoes, quartered; 200 g green beans, topped and tailed; 1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and peeled; 1 small bunch parsley, whole; 2 bay leaves; 2.5 tsp salt; 1.5 tsp coarsely ground black pepper; 200 ml dry white wine; 250 ml water

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control