The cooking time depends largely on the size of pork pieces and the age of the hog. The meat from a young hog will cook faster. If the liquid reduces to a gravy before the meat is tender, pour and stir in broth, no more than half a cup at a time, to prevent the stew from becoming too dry.Mashed potato, pickled cucumber and lingonberry (or sugar beets, in some cases) are the traditional accompaniments of laskisoosi. Ours was served with buttery mashed potato, pickled dill and pickled sugar beets.
Place the pork in a bowl, and add the salt and pepper.
Mix well, working the salt and pepper into the meat.
Cover the bowl and leave the pork to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Cook the stew
Melt half of the butter in a wide thick-bottomed pan.
Spread the pork in the butter and cook without disturbing for a few minutes.
Stir the pork and continue cooking, stirring once in a while, until lightly browned.
Scoop out the pork and transfer to a bowl.
Melt the remaining butter in the pan.
Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook, stirring and scraping the sides and bottom of the pan, until the butter and flour have come together.
Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and the edges are starting to brown (or cook the roux to a deep brown color for a darker laskisoosi).
Dump in the browned pork and stir.
Pour two cups of broth in a thin stream, stirring as you pour.
Bring to the boil, set the heat to LOW, cover the pan and cook the pork until tender. Stir, scrape and check the liquid once in a while. Add more broth (and salt, if needed) if the mixture dries out before the pork is done.
When the meat is fork tender, uncover the pan, turn up the heat to medium and leave to boil gently to reduce the liquid to the consistency of gravy.