The Czech Republic: Svíčková Beef with Cream Sauce, Caraway Potatoes & Bacon Braised Cabbage





The Czech Republic, also known as Czechi, is a land-locked country in Central Europe. With historic territories in Bohemia and Moravia this parliamentary republic shares borders with Poland to the north, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south and Germany to the west. Water from the Czech Republic flows to three different seas: the Black Sea, Baltic Sea and North Sea.  

Being located in the heart of Europe, Czech cuisine has been influenced by food methods from neighbours in all directions. The country’s history of farming, hunting and trade have influenced key ingredients of meat, dairy products, bread, grains, root vegetables & fruits.  It is a sumptuous, rich food that is surprisingly easy to cook as the meat is marinated the day before you want to eat. The side dishes of bread, berries and cream really make it a special dinner.

                

Our Czech Republic Menu included
Svíčková Beef with Cream Sauce
Caraway Potatoes
&
Bacon Braised Cabbage  
Which we served with 
Sourdough rye bread, cranberry preserves & sour cream

...............................................................

SVÍČKOVÁ BEEF WITH CREAM SAUCE
(pronounced sveech-covah)

Ingredients
  1 kg beef sirloin (or round rump) with fat left on
  80 g bacon fat, cut in long strips
  1 cup  beef  stock
  1 tsp salt
  1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  2 cloves garlic, crushed
  1 large carrot, grated in strips
  3 sticks celery, grated in strips
  1 medium parsnip root, grated in strips
  1 large onion, chopped
  100 g butter, melted 
  10 black peppercorns
  8 allspice berries
  2 bay leafs 
  juice from 1 lemon
  1 cup heavy cream

Method
1.    Begin the day before by larding the meat with the bacon fat
2.    Use a small knife or a larding needle to make tunnels through the meat
3.    Stuff the strips of the bacon fat through the tunnels in the sirloin
4.    Season with salt, add the spices, garlic, root vegetables, lemon juice, vinegar, place it in a covered dish in the fridge to marinate overnight
5.    The meat will take 3 hours to cook and it will take a further half hour to get it on the table, so if you want to eat at 7.30pm you will need the meat to go in the oven at 4pm
6.    Begin by heating the oven to 180 degrees °C (320 °F)
7.    Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven pot on the stove top
8.    Add the marinated meat & seal on all sides
9.    Add the stock & all other ingredients from the marinade and bring the pot to the boil, stir well then over with a lid and begin braising in the oven
10.         Take the pot out of the oven after ½ an hour & turn the meat over, giving the vegetables a good stir to ensure they are not sticking to the pot
11.         Repeat step 10 after an hour and again after another hour
12.         After 3 hours remove the pot from the oven
13.         Take the meat from the pot & place it in a heatproof dish & cover with a lid or foil to keep the meat warm and let it rest
14.         The vegetables are now ready to be made into the cream sauce
15.         Take all the ingredients remaining in the pan and pass them through a fine sieve or your electric blender until smooth & creamy. Don’t worry about removing the peppercorns or allspice berries as they are now soft.
16.         Pour the vegetable puree into a sauce pan and gently begin to a simmer, stirring often
17.         Now add the cream and bring back to simmer, gently cooking & stirring until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
18.         While the sauce is reducing carve the sirloin into thick circles
19.         You can plate the meat as you slice it & serve the sauce in a jug, or follow the more traditional way & put the meat back into sauce & heat them through.

This is a Q_Zine original recipe informed by recipes found at:
https://prague.tv/en/s72/Directory/c203-Dining/n2542-Czech-specialties-Svickova-beef-sirloin-in-cream-sauce

CARAWAY POTATOES
Ingredients
·      I kg new/small washed potatoes with the skin on
·      1 tsp salt
·      1 tsp caraway seeds
·      1 tbs butter

Method
1.    Place potatoes & salt in a pot & cover with cold water
2.    Cover the pot & gently bring potatoes to the boil. We cook gently to prevent the skins from splitting
3.    Cook at a gently rolling boil until tender; about 25 minutes
4.    Drain potatoes from the water, put back into the warm pot, place on a warm part of the stove top (not a hot element) & cover with a lid to steam dry & keep warm
5.     When you are ready to serve the potatoes take out a small frypan & dry roast the caraway seeds to release the fragrance & flavour
6.    Add the butter to the pan & gently melt
7.    Pour the caraway butter over the potatoes & put the lid back on for a minute so the potatoes become infused with the seed’s aroma

This is a Q_Zine original recipe informed by information found at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_cuisine

BRAISED CABBAGE WITH BACON

Ingredients:
·      I large head of cabbage
·      200gm Bacon, diced
·      1 small onion, chopped
·      1 stalk celery, chopped
·      1 small red Capsicum/Bell pepper, chopped
·      3 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
·      1 tbs vegetable oil
·      ½ tsp salt (plus a tsp salt for the boiling water)
·      ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Method:
1.    First you need to finely shred the cabbage. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut cabbage in ¼, cut away the hard, white core of the cabbage & discard. Now shred the cabbage quarters finely
2.    Bring a large pot of water to the boil & add the tsp salt
3.    Plunge the cabbage into the boiling water, bring pot back to the boil
4.    Cook cabbage briefly, until it turns bright green, then remove and drain
5.    Put cabbage back into the hot pot, cover with a lid & set aside to keep warm
6.    Heat a large skillet with some of the oil and add the onion
7.    Saute the onion over a medium heat until opaque
8.    When onion begins to brown add the bacon & saute until the bacon is brown
9.    Deglaze the saute pan with the Apple Cider Vinegar, stir well to gather all the caramelised ingredients from the bottom of the pan then pour all the ingredients from the pan into the cabbage pot & replace the lid to keep warm
10.         Now add the remaining oil to the frypan & re-heat pan to medium
11.         Add the celery & capsicum & saute until crisp & tender
12.         Add the sauted vegetables to the cabbage pot along with the salt & pepper them mix well
13.         The braised cabbage can now either be served warm or cilled and served later.

This is a Q_Zine original recipe informed a recipe found at:

Comments