Svíčková na smetaně

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4.9 from 69 votes

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.

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time

3 hrs

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 819 kcal

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Czech

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):

Whipped Cream
cranberry jam
lemon lemon sliced

Instructions

Cup of Yum

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

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: 8 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 819

% 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.