Prepare the ingredients. Peel the onions and carrots and cut them into large chunks (about 3 cm / 1 in pieces). Cut the beef and pork into roughly 3 cm (1 in) cubes. If using bone‑in cuts, keep the bones attached.
Brown the meat. Heat a heavy skillet over medium‑high heat and melt a knob of butter or lard. Brown the meat cubes in batches until nicely coloured on all sides. Do not crowd the pan, and avoid adding salt at this stage so moisture doesn’t leach out.
Layer the pot. Grease a large oven‑safe casserole dish or Dutch oven. Arrange the meat, onion and carrot chunks in layers, scattering allspice berries, peppercorns and the bay leaf between layers.
Deglaze and add water. After browning, pour a small amount of cold water into the skillet to loosen the browned bits and pour this liquid over the meat. Add more cold water or beef stock until the contents of the pot are almost covered but not submerged.
Slow‑cook in the oven. Cover the pot with a tight‑fitting lid or foil. Cook in a preheated oven at 175 °C (350 °F) for about 2 hours. Reduce the heat to 150 °C (300 °F) and continue cooking for another 1 hour until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily. If the top starts to brown too much, cover with foil.
Season and serve. Taste the broth and add more salt if necessary. Serve the stew with boiled or mashed potatoes, a spoonful of tart lingonberry jam and crunchy pickled cucumbers. The broth is delicious soaked up with rye bread on the side.
Enjoy the leftovers. Karjalanpaisti tastes even richer the next day as the flavours meld. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
