Svíčková na smetaně
User Reviews
4.9
69 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 30 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs
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Servings
8 people
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Calories
819 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Czech
Svíčková na smetaně
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Svíčková na smetaně is a traditional Czech beef dish featuring a larded beef cut simmered with root vegetables, apple, and spices to create a velvety creamy sauce. The beef is protected with strips of bacon, then cooked slowly alongside a spice bundle and diced vegetables. The sauce is thickened with a roux and finished with heavy cream, delivering a rich savory flavor with subtle sweetness and aromatic complexity.
Description
This classic Czech recipe, "Svíčková na smetaně," centers on larding a whole beef cut with bacon strips to enhance moisture and flavor during simmering. The beef is seasoned, tied for shape, and slowly cooked covered with water alongside diced carrots, parsley root, celeriac, onions, and apple, which all soften and infuse the cooking liquid.
A spice bundle containing bay leaves, allspice berries, and peppercorns is added to impart a warm aromatic profile. The cooking liquid becomes a deeply flavored base, which is thickened by making a roux from flour and butter. Adding heavy cream at the end enriches the sauce, giving it a smooth, creamy texture with subtle sweetness complemented by the vegetables and fruit.
This dish is traditionally served in 6-8 portions, often accompanied by dumplings or bread, and garnished optionally with whipped cream, cranberry jam, and lemon slices. The sauce's flavor deepens when allowed to rest overnight, making leftovers particularly good. When reheating, adding water restores the sauce’s smooth texture. Using cream with at least 30% fat is important to avoid curdling and maintain creaminess.
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Ingredients
Beef:
- 3 pounds beef e.g. top blade, whole
- 5 ounces Bacon for larding meat, fat
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lard (or sunflower / canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 2 teaspoon salt
- water to cover meat while simmering
Vegetables for Svíčková base:
- 2 medium carrot
- 2 medium parsley root
- 7 ounces celeriac
- 3 medium onion
- 1 medium apple
- ½ tick butter unsalted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vinegar 5% acidity
Spices:
- 6 bay leaf
- 10 allspice whole berries (balls
- 10 peppercorns
Roux
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ tick butter unsalted
To finish svíčková:
- 1 cup heavy cream
To garnish (optional):
- lemon lemon sliced
- Whipped Cream
- cranberry jam
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
- This recipe yields 6-8 servings, suitable for family meals or gatherings.
- Svíčková sauce improves when reheated the next day; add water while reheating to maintain creamy consistency.
- Use cream with at least 30% fat content to prevent sauce curdling during cooking.
- The optional garnishes such as whipped cream, cranberry jam, and lemon slices offer traditional flavor accompaniments.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
819kcal
(41%)
Carbohydrates
63g
(21%)
Protein
32g
(64%)
Fat
50g
(77%)
Saturated Fat
25g
(125%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
(24%)
Monounsaturated Fat
18g
(90%)
Trans Fat
0.5g
(25%)
Cholesterol
88mg
(29%)
Sodium
41192mg
(1716%)
Potassium
1086mg
(23%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
47g
(94%)
Vitamin A
3368IU
(67%)
Vitamin C
17mg
(19%)
Calcium
171mg
(17%)
Iron
5mg
(28%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 819 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 819kcal | 41% |
| Carbohydrates | 63g | 21% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 50g | 77% |
| Saturated Fat | 25g | 125% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Trans Fat | 0.5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol | 88mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 41192mg | 1716% |
| Potassium | 1086mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 47g | 94% |
| Vitamin A | 3368IU | 67% |
| Vitamin C | 17mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 171mg | 17% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
69 reviews
Excellent
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