Skav - a campfire delight. 

Skav - viltskav ("wild game skav")  is a popular type of food in Northern Sweden. If you search on Swedish wild game and cooking sites for skav you will find many hundreds of recipes.  My version of viltskav is dairy free while the original typically would use a heavy cream for making the sauce.  Skav is a rich meal that is great that will give much needed calories to the weary hunter. 

Skav is a traditional Sami dish and the name refers to the thinly sliced meat that is used in the recipe. Traditionally, it's made with reindeer meat, but you can also find it made with wildgame meats such as moose and deer.  "Skav" meat is sliced very thin, even shaved from a frozen block.  Skav is something of a staple in the North of Scandinavia that shows off the hearty and straightforward style of Sami cooking using local ingredients and traditional methods. 

Ingredients

• 1 packet of bacon. slice it in thin strips

• 2.2 lbs  of skav

• 1 lbs or more of sliced mushrooms. 

• 1 yellow onion, finely sliced then chopped. 

• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk or heavy cream 

• 1 cup beef broth

• 2 tbsp strong mustard

• 1-2 tbsp soy sauce, adjust according to taste

• 10 juniper berries. Crushed. 

• 1 tsp rosemary. 

• Optional: Sherry. 

Instructions

1. Mix all the liquids: coconut milk (alt cream) , soy sauce, beef broth, and mustard.

2. Sauté the mushrooms with the onions. When they are translucent, add a little bit of sherry and simmer until the sherry has evaporated.

3. Once the onions are soft, add a couple of tablespoons of the mixed liquid and let it simmer until reduced.

4. Transfer the mushrooms and onions to a plate to free up the pan (muurika).

5. Brown the skav with the bacon. If necessary, cook the skav in batches, transferring each batch to a plate once browned.

6. Once all the skav is browned, return it to the pan along with the liquids and spices. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce. If you prefer more sauce, you can thicken it using a thickening agent of your choice.

7. When almost ready, taste and adjust with black pepper. You may also add a tablespoon of sugar or lingonberry jam to balance the sauce, if desired.

Serve over pasta, or like the Swedes, with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.