Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Meat and Broth Base
- 1000 g veal shoulder, whole piece
- 500 g veal shank or knuckle
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2000 ml water
Aromatics
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 whole allspice berries
- 10 whole white peppercorns
- 3 whole cloves
Finishing and Setting
- 4 gelatin leaves
- 15 ml white vinegar (12%)
- 10 g salt
- 2 g ground white pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 83 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 272 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 57 mg
- Potassium
- 239 mg
- Calcium
- 21 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 24 mg
- Phosphorus
- 165 mg
- Zinc
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 42 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.24 mg
- Niacin
- 5.4 mg
- Folate
- 11 mcg
- Water
- 169 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Rinse the veal shoulder and shank under cold water. Place them in a large stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, reduce heat immediately. Skim off the grey foam (scum) that rises to the surface carefully until the broth is clear.
Add the onion, carrot, bay leaves, allspice, white peppercorns, and cloves. Simmer gently, covered, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
Lift the meat from the pot and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve (or cheesecloth) into a clean bowl. Discard vegetables and spices.
Bloom the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. While they soak, measure out 400-500ml of the hot strained broth. Stir the bloomed gelatin into this hot broth until fully dissolved.
Cut the meat into smaller chunks (discarding bones and gristle). Pass the meat through a meat grinder using a medium die, or pulse in a food processor until finely minced but not a paste.
Combine the minced meat with the gelatin-enriched broth. Season with vinegar, salt, and ground white pepper. Taste carefully; it should be slightly saltier than you think, as cold dulls the flavor.
Pour the mixture into loaf pans or molds. Tap the molds on the counter to remove air bubbles. Refrigerate until completely set, preferably overnight.
Chef's Notes
- The vinegar is not just for preservation; the slight acidity cuts through the richness of the veal fat. Do not skip it.
- For a clearer appearance, ensure you skim the broth very diligently in the first 15 minutes of boiling.
- Serve sliced on rye bread with beetroot salad (rödbetssallad) and strong mustard for the authentic experience.
- If using a food processor instead of a grinder, pulse carefully. You want texture, not a pâté.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Keep covered to prevent absorbing fridge odors.
Troubleshooting
The sylta is too loose or runny after chilling
Cause: Insufficient natural gelatin extracted from bones or too much liquid used
Fix: Gently reheat the mixture until liquid, dissolve 2 more gelatin leaves, and re-chill
Prevention: Ensure you use the veal shank (bones) and measure the liquid ratio carefully
Cultural Context
Kalvsylta is an ancient method of preserving meat in Sweden, dating back to when no part of the animal was wasted. While historically made from heads and feet for their natural setting properties, modern versions use leaner cuts fortified with gelatin. It is one of the essential cold cuts on the traditional Christmas 'Julbord'.
