Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 3 votes

Svíčková na Smetaně

Svíčková na smetaně is a traditional Czech dish made with beef sirloin and vegetables like carrots and root vegetables, and cooked in a creamy sauce.

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 5 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Czech

Ingredients

  • 1½ lb beef tenderloin or sirloin in one piece
  • 5 oz. smoked bacon diced
  • 2 onions cut into large slices
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons mustard (or 2 oz/50g mustard seeds)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 carrots , julienned
  • ½ celeriac , julienned
  • 1 leek , thinly sliced
  • 2 turnips , julienned
  • 1 cube beef broth , diluted in ¾ cup/200ml hot water
  • 1¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 whole allspice berries (nové koření)
  • zest of a lemon
  • pepper
  • salt
  • 2 tablespoons cranberry jam or other berry jam

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 300F/150C.
  2. Poke the piece of meat, and insert the bacon in the holes. Season with salt and tie the meat with kitchen twine.
  3. In a large cast iron pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions over medium heat.
  4. Add the sugar and caramelize the onions lightly.
  5. Add all the vegetables and sauté for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the meat, lemon zest, vinegar, 1 teaspoon mustard (or 1 oz/25g mustard seeds), whole allspice berries, pepper and bay leaves.
  7. Stir and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
  8. Pour over the diluted beef broth cube and bake in the oven for 2h15. Turn the meat over and add boiling water regularly, if necessary.
  9. Take out from the oven. Remove the meat and bay leaves.
  10. Add remaining mustard (or mustard seeds). Mix all the content and bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add a little boiling water if necessary. The sauce must be creamy and not liquid.
  11. Finally add the cream, and cook the sauce for 1 more minute without stirring.
  12. Slice the meat, place the slices in the sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
  13. Serve with cranberry jam, as well as knedliky (dumplings).