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Czech Republic Svíčková na smetaně (Beef sirloin with vegetable cream sauce)

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Czech Republic
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Servings 6
Author International Cuisine

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lbs. of the finest beef sirloin a tenderloin would work great
  • ¼ lb. of smoked pork lard or bacon chopped into wedges if you can’t find lard
  • 2 lbs. of soup bones with marrow
  • 3 large carrots peeled and chopped
  • 3 celery ribs chopped
  • 2 parsnips peeled and chopped
  • 2 white onions diced
  • For the Gravy:
  • 10 whole all spice
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 100 ml or about 1/3 cup white wine-vinegar
  • 100 ml or about 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 6 Tablespoons Whole cranberry sauce 4 for gravy- 2 for garnish on a lemon wedge
  • 7 oz. heavy cream
  • 5 Tablespoons flour
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Insert the smoked lard into the beef sirloin by making slits into the beef. Use the same method if using bacon wedges.
  • Put the meat and the soup bones on a roasting pan, put the cut up vegetables onto a separate cookie sheet and sprinkle with some oil. Put the vegetables one rack below the meat into the oven.
  • Roast in the oven for 45 minutes
  • minutes before the meat and vegetables are roasted, start the gravy
  • Put a very large pot with 3 liters or 12 cups of water on the stove to boil
  • Put the spices, all spice, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme) into a spice bag for easy removal and add to the water.
  • Add the wine vinegar – Dijon mustard- white wine and 4 tablespoons of cranberry sauce.
  • Remove the meat, bones and vegetables from the oven and transfer all of them after seasoning with some salt to the large pot.
  • Cook for 2 hours. (During the last 30 minutes you could make the batter for the bread dumplings, see recipe for Houskvý Knedlík )
  • Remove the meat bones and spice bag out of the pot, cover the meat with foil to rest. The soup bones have served their purpose and if you have a pooch, they will love you for them.
  • Remove the vegetables and mash through a strainer.
  • You will need only 1 liter or approx. 4 cups of the stock for the gravy. Save the rest as wonderful beef stock for another recipe.
  • In your pot you should have 4 cups of the stock and add the mashed vegetables, If you want you could use an emersion blender to puree.
  • Add the cream and 2 Tablespoons of flour. Keep adding flour until desired thickness is achieved.
  • Keep gravy warm while you make the bread dumplings. See recipe Houskvý Knedlík
  • Slice the meat and serve with lots of the gravy and bread dumplings. It is customary to garnish the plate with the cranberry sauce on top of a slice lemon. You just may want to lick the plate!