Svíčková na Smetaně (Czech Beef in Root Vegetable Cream Sauce)
Local name: Svíčková na smetaně
In short: Beef braised on a bed of root vegetables, blended into a smooth sweet-sour cream sauce and served with bread dumplings and cranberries. It takes about 3 h 15 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 2 h 45 min
- Total
- 3 h 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 760 kcal
Svíčková is the Czech dish for weddings, birthdays and Sunday lunch. A piece of beef braises on a bed of carrot, parsnip, celeriac and onion with allspice and bay, then the vegetables are blended into a smooth sauce with cream, a little sugar and a splash of vinegar. Sliced beef is laid over bread dumplings and topped with whipped cream, a slice of lemon and a spoonful of cranberries.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Pat the beef dry and season with 1 tsp of the salt.
- Heat the oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and sear the beef for about 8 minutes in total, until browned on all sides. Set it aside.
- Add the butter and chopped vegetables to the pot and cook for 8 minutes until lightly golden. Add the allspice, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, vinegar and stock, then return the beef to the pot.
- Cover and braise in the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, turning the beef once, until a fork slides in easily.
- Lift out the beef and wrap it in foil to keep warm. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
- Blend the vegetables and cooking liquid with an immersion blender until smooth. If it is too thick, add a little water. Press through a coarse sieve for an extra silky sauce.
- Whisk the flour into the sour cream and stir it into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, then season with the sugar, lemon juice and remaining salt. It should taste sweet, sour and savory.
- Slice the beef thinly across the grain. Lay the slices over the dumplings, spoon over the sauce and top each plate with whipped cream, a lemon slice and a spoonful of cranberry sauce.
Tips
- The dish takes its name from a cut, the beef tenderloin, but cooks often use sirloin or top round, which stay moist with long braising and slice thinly.
- Do not skip the whisked flour and sour cream step, which keeps the cream from splitting in the hot sauce. Taste at the end and adjust the sugar and lemon until it is balanced.
Questions and answers
Can I make svíčková ahead?
Yes. Make the beef and sauce up to 2 days ahead, keep the sliced beef in the sauce in the fridge and reheat gently.
What are the garnishes for svíčková?
Czechs serve it with whipped cream, a lemon slice and cranberry sauce. They add sweet, sour and cool notes against the rich sauce.
Can I freeze svíčková?
Yes. Freeze the beef in its sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly.
How long does it take to make Svíčková na Smetaně (Czech Beef in Root Vegetable Cream Sauce)?
About 3 h 15 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 2 h 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Svíčková na Smetaně (Czech Beef in Root Vegetable Cream Sauce)?
About 760 kcal per serving, with 45 g of protein, 71 g of carbohydrates and 33 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 760 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 45 g |
| Carbohydrates | 71 g |
| Fat | 33 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 17 g |
| Sodium | 1100 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
