Vepřo Knedlo Zelo (Czech Roast Pork with Dumplings and Sauerkraut)
Local name: Vepřo knedlo zelo
In short: Pork shoulder roasted with caraway and garlic until tender, served with sliced bread dumplings and sweet-sour braised sauerkraut. 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
- Easy
- Calories
- 650 kcal
Vepřo knedlo zelo, meaning pork, dumplings, cabbage, is the Czech Sunday lunch in three words. A pork shoulder is rubbed with garlic, caraway and salt and roasted until the crackling is crisp and the juices make a thin gravy. It is served with sliced bread dumplings and sauerkraut braised with onion, a little sugar and caraway until soft and gently sour. The gravy is spooned over the pork and dumplings.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat the pork skin dry and score it in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife, cutting through the skin but not into the meat. Rub with the garlic, caraway, salt, pepper and oil.
- Put the onion and water in a roasting pan and set the pork on top, skin side up. Roast for 20 minutes to start the crackling.
- Reduce the heat to 160°C (325°F) and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices and adding a little water if the pan dries. The shoulder is ready when it reaches 85°C (185°F) and pulls apart easily.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pot and cook the chopped onion for 6 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, caraway, sugar and water, cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Stir the grated potato into the sauerkraut and cook for 10 minutes more, until it thickens. Taste: add a little sugar if it is too sour.
- Rest the pork under foil for 15 minutes. Skim the fat from the pan juices, strain them into a small pot, add a splash of water and boil for 3 minutes into a thin gravy.
- Warm the dumpling slices in a covered pan with a splash of water. Slice the pork and serve with the dumplings and sauerkraut, with the gravy spooned over.
Tips
- Pat the skin very dry before seasoning and score it deeply for crisp crackling. A last 10 minutes at 230°C (445°F) blisters the skin.
- If the sauerkraut is very sharp or salty, rinse it under cold water for a minute before cooking and add a little more sugar to taste.
Questions and answers
What does vepřo knedlo zelo mean?
It is the everyday Czech shorthand for pork (vepřové), dumplings (knedlíky) and cabbage (zelí). It is the most common traditional Czech lunch.
Can I make it ahead?
The sauerkraut and gravy improve overnight. Roast the pork the same day for the best crackling, though leftover slices reheat well in gravy.
What kind of sauerkraut should I use?
Fresh refrigerated or barrel sauerkraut is best. Canned sauerkraut works but is sharper, so rinse it before cooking.
How long does it take to make Vepřo Knedlo Zelo (Czech Roast Pork with Dumplings and Sauerkraut)?
About 3 h 15 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 2 h 45 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Vepřo Knedlo Zelo (Czech Roast Pork with Dumplings and Sauerkraut)?
About 650 kcal per serving, with 40 g of protein, 58 g of carbohydrates and 29 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 650 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 40 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Fat | 29 g |
| Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 1500 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
