Baeckeoffe — Alsatian Baker's Oven Casserole

Baeckeoffe (literally 'baker's oven') is the iconic one-pot dish of Alsace — three meats (beef, lamb, and pork) marinated overnight in white Alsatian wine with aromatics, then layered with sliced potatoes and onions in a glazed earthenware terrine, sealed with a bread dough lid, and slow-baked for hours in the baker's oven. Historically, housewives would prepare and assemble the baeckeoffe on Saturday evening, marinate the meats overnight, and deliver the sealed terrine to the village baker on Monday morning (wash day) to be cooked in the residual heat of the bread oven while they did laundry. The seal was the baker's guarantee that no one had tampered with the dish. Cut 300g each of beef chuck, lamb shoulder, and pork shoulder into 4cm pieces. Marinate overnight in 750ml of dry Riesling with 2 sliced onions, 2 sliced carrots, 4 cloves of garlic, a bouquet garni, juniper berries, and peppercorns. The next day, peel and slice 1.5kg of waxy potatoes into 5mm rounds and slice 3 onions into rings. In a 3-litre earthenware terrine (the traditional baeckeoffe dish, with straight sides and a flat lid), layer: potatoes and onions on the bottom, then the drained meats, then more potatoes and onions, ending with a final layer of potatoes. Pour over the strained marinade wine to almost cover. Make a simple dough with flour and water — this is not for eating but for sealing: roll into a long rope and press it around the rim of the terrine where the lid meets the base, creating an airtight seal. Press the lid firmly down. The sealed terrine traps all moisture and aroma inside, creating a self-basting, pressurised environment. Bake at 160°C for 3-3.5 hours. The dough seal will have hardened. Break it off at the table with ceremony — the rush of wine-scented steam that escapes is part of the performance. Inside, the potatoes will have absorbed the wine and meat juices, the three meats will be equally tender, and the onions will have melted into a sweet, winey sauce. Serve from the terrine with a simple green salad.