AI-generated photo.
Scandinavian · Signature, Christmas · Norway · Holiday
Pinnekjott
Also called pinnekjøtt
Pinnekjott (pinnekjøtt), a Christmas dish from Norway.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Pinnekjott is cooked in Christmas as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam salted lamb over a little water until it is tender, and mash turnip with butter to serve beside it. The pantry has no birch twigs to steam over. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
84
Health score
Light & nourishing
Healthy
Richness
Gentle
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 42%
- Carbs 27%
- Fat 31%
Suits · Diabetes-friendly
Sugar, fiber, and the starch mix sit in a gentler range. Your own portion still decides the day.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Suits · High protein
About 34.3 g of protein in the serving.
Suits · Low sodium
About 435 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Watch · Dairy-free
A milk ingredient is in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Lamb leg189 kcal
- Potato77 kcal
- Unsalted butter36 kcal
- Turnip18 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 13.6. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 319 kcal.
Allergens. Milk
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 239 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Swap lamb leg for the same weight of firm tofu or chickpeas when you want a meatless pot.
The seasoning and the method stay. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 319 kcal | 16% |
| Protein | 34.3 g | 69% |
| Carbohydrate | 21.5 g | 8% |
| Fiber | 3.2 g | 11% |
| Total sugars | 3.2 g | 6% |
| Fat | 11.1 g | 14% |
| Saturated fat | 4.8 g | 24% |
| Cholesterol | 110 mg | 37% |
| Sodium | 435 mg | 19% |
| Potassium | 1071 mg | 23% |
| Calcium | 49 mg | 4% |
| Iron | 3.5 mg | 19% |
| Magnesium | 66 mg | 16% |
| Zinc | 5.2 mg | 47% |
| Vitamin A | 39 mcg | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 32.8 mg | 36% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 0.4 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 2 mcg | 2% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.4 mg | 30% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.3 mg | 24% |
| Niacin (B3) | 9.2 mg | 57% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 mg | 34% |
| Folate | 25 mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 mcg | 103% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Pot with a lid
- Steamer basket
- Scale
- Timer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Lamb leg1.3 lb600 g
Turnip1 turnip250 g
Potato3 potatoes400 g
Unsalted butter1.5 tbsp20 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Swap lamb leg for the same weight of firm tofu or chickpeas when you want a meatless pot.. The seasoning and the method stay.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Pinnekjott. Heat to steam over water at 212°F / 100°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh lamb leg, turnip, potato, unsalted butter, kosher salt. Pinnekjott is cooked in Christmas as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Steam salted lamb over a little water until it is tender, and mash turnip with butter to serve beside it. The pantry has no birch twigs to steam over. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Pinnekjott is cooked in norway. Also called pinnekjøtt. The vegetable should keep a little bite. Gray and soft means it waited too long.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Pinnekjott, until the edges take a little color. Steam with the lid on. Every peek drops the heat.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Pinnekjott at steam over water at 212°F / 100°C. Start checking at 13 minutes. Pinnekjott is done when the thickest piece is opaque and just tender, not dry and not pink at the bone.
Steam 13 min
- 🇳🇴 NorwayNorthern Europesig-norway-pinnekjott-step-4
Pinnekjott, step 5
Step 5 · Pinnekjott
5Check the center of Pinnekjott, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇳🇴 NorwayNorthern Europesig-norway-pinnekjott-step-5
Pinnekjott, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Pinnekjott for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in norway, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Pinnekjott in this shot order and no other: the sauce coating a spoon; parchment pressed into the pan; tongs turning one piece; brine covering every vegetable in the jar. Slate words for the editor: emberfold, twilight, jasper, yarrow, nutmeg, flake, anchor, patina, flint, thistle.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Pinnekjott is done when the thickest piece is opaque and just tender, not dry and not pink at the bone.
If it goes wrong
- Pinnekjott looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Pinnekjott turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Pinnekjott, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Pinnekjott belongs to Christmas. The method above is the one that makes it recognizable.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Steam salted lamb over a little water until it is tender, and mash turnip with butter to serve beside it. The pantry has no birch twigs to steam over.
Allergens in the required list: Milk.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.