Svíčková na smetaně

This traditional Czech sauce is made from root vegetables and heavy cream, served with a slice of beef and bread dumplings.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Czech Sauce, svíčková

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 3

Servings people

Calories 819kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Beef:

3 pounds whole beef (e.g. top blade)
5 ounces fat bacon for larding meat
1 ½ Tablespoons lard (or sunflower / canola oil)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon salt
water to cover meat while simmering

Vegetables for Svíčková base:

2 medium carrots
2 medium parsley root
7 ounces celeriac
3 medium onions
1 medium apple
½ stick unsalted butter
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup vinegar 5% acidity

Spices:

6 bay leaves
10 allspice balls
10 peppercorns

Roux

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ stick unsalted butter

To finish svíčková:

1 cup heavy cream

To garnish (optional):

sliced lemon, whipped cream, cranberry jam

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Larding: Lard 3 pounds whole beef with strips of 5 ounces fat bacon by cutting the fat bacon into pieces about ⅓ inch thick and 4 inches long. Place these pieces in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
Use a thin knife with a long edge and make some holes into the meat. Stick your index finger inside each hole and wiggle it so the hole enlarges. Press in stripes of fat bacon. You can make the holes into both sides of the beef.
To achieve a better shape, tie the irregularly shaped meat with kitchen twine. Season the meat with 2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper from all sides.
Preparing the vegetables and spices: Peel 2 medium carrots, 2 medium parsley root, and 7 ounces celeriac Dice into ½ inch pieces. Peel 3 medium onions and chop them roughly. Peel 1 medium apple and dice it.
If possible, tightly tie the spices (10 allspice balls, 10 peppercorns and 6 bay leaves) in a clean piece of canvas. You will place this spice bundle into the saucepan later.
Brown the beef: In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1 ½ Tablespoons lard over high heat and sear the beef on all sides until golden brown. Remove the browned meat and set it aside.
Sautée vegetables: Use the same saucepan in which you prepared the meat. Reduce the heat to medium, then add ½ stick unsalted butter and any leftover bacon fat from larding.
Add diced carrots, parsley root, and celeriac. Cook until slightly golden, stirring occasionally. Throw chopped onions to vegetables and cook until lightly golden. Add a diced apple and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add ½ cup granulated sugar, mix, and let it melt while stirring. Pour in ⅓ cup vinegar 5% acidity, mix, and let vinegar evaporate, so that there are only vegetables and some fat on the bottom of the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix it.
Cooking beef: Return the browned beef to the saucepan with vegetables and pour in hot water until the meat is almost submerged. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the prepared spices.
If you add bay leaves to the saucepan freely, be sure to count them! You will need to remove them all before the final mixing of the Svíčková sauce.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a minimum. Cover with a lid and allow it to simmer for 2,5 hours.
Remove the spices, particularly all the bay leaves. Take out and discard ¼ of the vegetables. If you leave all the vegetables in the sauce, it will taste overly vegetal and become too dense.
Take out the beef and keep it in a warm place.
Make the roux: In a frying pan, melt ½ stick unsalted butter over medium heat. Add 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and stir frequently until it turns lightly golden.
Place a sieve over the saucepan of Svíčková and add the roux. Press the roux through the sieve into the sauce, stirring continuously to incorporate it.
Return the saucepan to the stove and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent the roux from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. After about 15 minutes of cooking, the roux will lose its floury taste, thicken the sauce, and give it a very smooth flavor.
Finishing: Add 1 cup heavy cream into sauce; no more cooking!
Blend everything with an immersion blender, then strain the sauce into a clean pot. Season with lemon juice and salt to taste.
Serve with bread dumplings and a slice of beef. If desired, garnish each portion with a lemon slice, a dollop of whipped cream, and a teaspoon of cranberry jam.

Notes

The basic recipe makes 6-8 portions.
Svíčková tastes even better the next day. It thickens, so when reheating, add some water to return the sauce to its regular creamy texture.
Avoid using cream with less than 30% fat, as low-fat creams can cause the sauce to curdle.

Nutrition