Baeckeoffe: the traditional Alsatian three-meat recipe

Baeckeoffe (or baeckeofe, “baker’s oven” in Alsatian) is one of the emblematic dishes of Alsace: three meats marinated in white wine, with potatoes and vegetables, cooked very slowly in an earthenware terrine sealed with a strip of dough. A generous recipe, ideal for big autumn and winter gatherings around the table.

The history of baeckeoffe

According to tradition, Alsatian housewives prepared this dish on Sunday evening or Monday morning, which was washing day: they would drop off their terrine at the village baker’s, who slid it into his oven, still hot after baking the bread. The baeckeoffe would cook for several hours unattended and was collected in time for the meal. The oval ceramic terrine, often made in Soufflenheim, and the dough that seals its lid have remained the hallmarks of the dish.

Ingredients for 6 people

Preparation: 40 minutes – Marinating: overnight (12 to 24 hours) – Cooking: 3 hours 30 minutes

The meats and the marinade

• 500 g boneless pork shoulder (or neck)
• 500 g beef chuck
• 500 g boneless lamb shoulder
• 1 pig’s trotter, split in half (optional, it adds tenderness)
• 750 ml dry Alsace white wine (Riesling or Sylvaner)
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
• 2 cloves
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For assembling and sealing

• 1.5 kg waxy potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 leek
• 1 onion
• Sealing dough: 300 g flour and 100 to 150 ml water

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How to make baeckeoffe, step by step

1. The day before, cut the meats into large cubes of about 5 cm. Place them in a large bowl with the 2 sliced onions, the crushed garlic, the bouquet garni, the cloves and some pepper. Cover with the white wine, wrap in cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
2. On the day, preheat the oven to 160 °C (320 °F). Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices about 5 mm thick. Slice the carrots into rounds, cut the leek into chunks and the remaining onion into thin slices.
3. Drain the meats, keeping the marinade. Season lightly with salt.
4. Butter the terrine. Lay down a layer of potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then add a layer of vegetables and half the meat, with half a pig’s trotter.
5. Repeat: potatoes, vegetables, meat, then finish with a layer of potatoes.
6. Pour in the strained marinade until it comes about two-thirds of the way up.
7. Mix the flour and water into a soft dough, roll it into a long sausage shape and lay it around the rim of the terrine. Press the lid down onto it to seal it tightly.
8. Bake for about 3 hours 30 minutes at 160 °C (320 °F), without opening.
9. When it comes out of the oven, break the dough seal at the table and serve straight from the terrine.

Which wine to serve with baeckeoffe?

Ideally, serve the same wine as the one used in the marinade: a dry, lively Riesling, or a Sylvaner, simpler and more thirst-quenching. An Alsace Pinot Blanc also works very well.

Possible variations

• Some families add smoked pork belly or a pig’s tail for extra melt-in-the-mouth richness.
• A pork-free version can be made with beef and lamb only, or with poultry.
• In season, you will also come across fish or vegetable baeckeoffe, but the three-meat version remains the classic.

The chef’s tips

• Don’t skip the marinade: it is what tenderises the meat and flavours the potatoes.
• If you don’t have an Alsatian terrine, a tightly closed cast-iron casserole will do.
• Baeckeoffe reheats very well and is often even better the next day.
• Serve it simply with a green salad.

Enzo

Hi, I'm Enzo! I'm the guy who loves lacing up his hiking boots to explore the rugged trails of the Vosges. Passionate about nature and photography, I take you along through articles that capture the scent of fir forests and the charm of mountain lakes. I live for those moments when the sun rises over the Haut-Koenigsbourg or when I stumble upon an authentic inn along the way. My goal? To inspire you to get out, breathe in the fresh Alsatian air, and always have a great spot for a tarte flambée to share at the end of the day.

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