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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Braised Beef Cubes with Garlic

    Published: Sep 7, 2021 · Modified: May 29, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 5 Comments

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    • 577shares

    This is an authentic Czech recipe for slow-braised beef cubes with garlic gravy. The dish is very popular in the Czech Republic, often served with potato dumplings and creamed spinach.

    Beef cubes with garlic gravy, served with potato dumplings and spinach.

    ➜ About the Recipe

    These are tender and juicy beef cubes in garlic gravy, slowly braised in an onion base with a small amount of liquid. Garlic gives the beef a unique flavor.

    Expect this recipe to take about three hours before it's done. For the vast majority of that time, the beef will slowly simmer without you having to care for it.

    ➤ In the Czech language, beef cubes with garlic are called “Hovězí na česneku”. You can get it mainly in classic Czech pubs on the lunch menu.

    MY TIP: Try also this roasted rabbit recipe (it taste delicious!)

    ➜ Ingredients

    Beef cubes with garlic ingredients.

    To make beef cubes with garlic gravy we need:

    • Beef chuck or round; whole or steaks
    • Garlic; pressed
    • All-purpose flour; for thickening the gravy
    • Pork lard; for frying onions and meat, or table oil - sunflower or Canola
    • Onion; peeled, finely chopped
    • Water; in which the meat will stew
    • Salt

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.


    Quick Instructions:

    1. Cut the beef into cubes.
    2. Chop the onion finely, press the peeled garlic.
    3. Season the meat with salt and mix with the garlic.
    4. Brown the meat in a pan, set aside.
    5. Fry the onions in the same fat as the beef earlier.
    6. Put the meat back into the pan, pour water over it, and simmer until tender.
    7. Dust with flour towards the end and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
    8. Serve the finished beef cubes with spinach and potato dumplings.

    ➜ Detailed Instructions with Photos

    STEP 1: Cut the beef into cubes about 1 inch (3 cm) in size. Peel the onion and chop it finely. Peel and press the garlic.

    STEP 2: Salt the meat cubes and mix with garlic.

    Beef cubes mixed with garlic.

    STEP 3: Heat the lard or oil in a frying pan to a higher temperature and brown the meat in it. The meat will probably release its juices. Cook until the juices evaporate and the meat cubes are golden brown. Stir.

    Searing beef cubes in a pan.

    STEP 4: Remove the fried meat and fry the onion in the same fat. If it sticks to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon of water. Using a flat spatula, scrape the drippings from the bottom of the pan and stir them into the onions.

    Frying onions in a pan.

    STEP 5: Return the beef cubes to the onions, and cover with water so that the meat is half submerged. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down to a minimum, and simmer until the beef is tender. Stewing time for beef cubes: 2-3 hours.

    Slowly cooking beef cube in a water.

    STEP 6: At the end of the stewing (the meat is already soft and tender), remove the lid, add a little water if necessary and dust the surface of the stew with flour through a sieve. Put the lid back on and let the flour steam for 15 minutes at low heat - do not stir!   

    Thickening the garlic gravy with beef cubes.

    STEP 7: Finally, season with salt to taste, stir and serve.

    ➜ Serving

    Beef cubes with garlic gravy are best served with potato dumplings and creamed spinach. Garnish the dumplings with fried onion rings for effect and flavor.

    Beef cubes with garlic recipe.

    ➜ Useful Tips

    • Prepare the beef half an hour in advance. Cut into cubes, mix with salt and garlic and leave to marinate at room temperature. The meat will smell more of garlic.
    • The trick of dusting the beef with flour will ensure that the gravy thickens gently, yet no lumps form. There is no need for a roux either.
    • You can also prepare this recipe in a slow cooker. I recommend that the initial stage (frying the meat and onions) be done in a skillet and then put to a simmer in the slow cooker.

    More Czech recipes

    • Beef goulash – hovězí guláš
    • Braised red cabbage – červené zelí
    • Roasted pork shoulder – vepřová pečeně
    • Roast duck – pečená kachna
    • Beef roll ups – Spanelske ptacky
    • Green spinach sauce – špenátová omáčka

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Garlic beef cubes served with potato dumplings and spinach, Czech hovězí na česneku dish.

    Braised Beef Cubes with Garlic

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    This is an original Czech recipe for slow-braised beef cubes in garlic sauce. The dish is very popular in the Czech Republic, often served with potato dumplings and stewed spinach.
    5 from 2 votes
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    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 3 hours hrs
    Servings: 4

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 1 ½ pounds beef chuck or round
    • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
    • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tablespoons pork lard (or sunflower/Canola oil)
    • 1 large onion peeled and finely chopped
    • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
    • water for stewing the meat

    Instructions 

    • Cut 1 ½ pounds beef into cubes about 1 inch (3 cm) in size. Peel 1 large onion and chop it finely. Peel and mince 3 cloves garlic.
    • Season the meat cubes with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and rub them with garlic.
    • Heat 2 Tablespoons pork lard in a skillet over medium heat and brown the meat. The meat will likely release its juices. Cook until the juices evaporate and the meat cubes turn golden brown. Stir continuously.
    • Remove the fried meat and fry the onion in the same fat. If it sticks to the bottom, add a tablespoon of water. Use a flat spatula to scrape up the drippings and stir into the onions.
    • Return the beef cubes to the onions and cover with water so that the meat is half submerged. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to a minimum, and simmer until the beef is tender. Stewing time for beef cubes: 2-3 hours.
    • At the end of the cooking time, when the meat is soft and tender, remove the lid. If necessary, add a little water. Dust the surface of the stew with 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour through a sieve. Put the lid back on and let the flour steam for 15 minutes over low heat. Do not stir!
    • Finally, season with salt to taste, stir and serve.

    Notes

    • SERVING: Beef cubes with garlic gravy are best served with potato dumplings and steamed spinach. Garnish the dumplings with fried onion rings for added flavor.
    • Prepare the beef half an hour in advance. Cut into cubes, mix with salt and garlic and leave to marinate at room temperature. The meat will smell more of garlic.
    • The trick of dusting the beef with flour will ensure that the juices thicken gently, yet no lumps form. There is no need for a roux either.
    • You can make this recipe in a slow cooker. I recommend doing the initial step ( frying the meat and onions) in a skillet and then letting it simmer in the slow cooker.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1011mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 4mg
    Servings: 4
    Calories pro serving: 389
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Beef recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
    • 577shares

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    Comments

    1. Stephanie says

      January 21, 2022 at 12:06 pm

      5 stars
      This stew is delicious! Thank you for sharing such a yummy recipe!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        January 24, 2022 at 4:06 am

        You are very welcome! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Frank Monahan says

      October 16, 2023 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      The recipe calls for a frying pan to brown and braise the meat, but the picture show a dutch oven, which is what I normally use for braising. Is there an oven version using the dutch oven for braising? 325 for 3 hours? Wanting to get even heating on the braise, and free up a burner.

      Reply
      • Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says

        December 05, 2023 at 4:10 pm

        Ahoj Frank, thank you for your comment.
        The enameled cast iron dutch oven with a lid, e. g., Le Creuset or Lodge brands, has worked best for me. It is perfectly great to use on the stove as well as for baking in the oven. Specifically, I use the pan in the picture regularly in the oven. The manufacturer states that the enameled cast iron pan or pot can withstand temperatures up to 420 F / 220 C in the oven.

        Reply
        • Kc says

          December 17, 2023 at 6:32 pm

          The poster wants to know the oven temp for oven method. As do I.

          Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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