Vepřo Knedlo Zelo

Vepřo knedlo zelo is the real Czech thing! This comforting food, featuring pork roast, dumplings, and sauerkraut, can be found on nearly every restaurant menu in Prague.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword traditional Czech food, vepřové

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 45

Servings

Calories 316kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

2 pounds pork shoulder
6 medium onions peeled and roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic peeled and pressed
1 Tablespoon pork lard (or canola / sunflower oil)
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups water

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Before you start cooking: Preheat the oven to 320 °F. Cut 6 medium onions roughly. Peel 5 cloves garlic and press them.
Season 2 pounds pork shoulder with 2 teaspoons salt. Dust it with 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds from all sides. Then rub the pressed garlic onto the pork.
Grease a roasting pan with 1 Tablespoon pork lard. Pour the onion over the bottom of the pan. Place the seasoned meat on the onion. Pour in 1 cup of water.
Roast the pork uncovered for 2-2.½ hours or until soft. Flip the meat from time to time, that it has a nice brown color over the whole surface. Also, stir the onion occasionally to prevent it from burning. If all the water evaporates, add ⅓ cup more.
Transfer roasted meat to a clean plate, cover with foil, and keep it warm.
Make the gravy: Place the uncovered roasting pan with onion on the stove over medium heat. Reduce the juices to a necessary minimum. Stir occasionally.
Lower the heat and add 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour. Fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously, preferably with a flat spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan and prevent the flour from burning.
Gradually pour in 2 cups of lukewarm water, stirring well. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to one-third and let the gravy simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain the gravy through a sieve—season with pepper and salt to fit your taste.
Serve warm: a slice of pork roast, braised sauerkraut, and sliced dumplings. Pour the sauce in the middle, allowing it to partially cover the meat, sauerkraut, and dumplings.

Notes

The basic recipe makes 4-6 portions of the "vepřo" (pork) part.
If the gravy's flavor is not strong enough, pour it into a pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the liquid. This will significantly enhance the taste.
The best cut of pork for this dish is pork shoulder, which is marbled with fat and perfect for slow roasting.
Don't confuse caraway seeds with cumin. Caraway seeds are a typical Czech spice frequently used in Czech cuisine.
To speed up the initial roasting, you can cover the pan with a lid. After 30 minutes, remove the lid to allow the roast to develop a nice brown crust.

Nutrition