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Czech Svíčková na smetaně (Braised Beef in Sweet Root Vegetable Cream Sauce)
The crowning dish of Czech culinary tradition: larded beef braised tender with caramelized root vegetables, blended into a luscious velvety cream sauce brightened with lemon.
Prep
30 min
Cook
90 min
Total
120 min
Ingredients
4servings
- Beef roast (sirloin or chuck)700 g
- Carrots, diced250 g
- Celeriac (celery root), diced150 g
- Yellow onion, chopped1 piece
- Butter40 g
- Allspice berries and bay leaves1 tsp
- Sugar for caramelizing1 tbsp
- Fresh lemon juice2 tbsp
- Heavy sour cream or double cream150 g
- Beef broth or water400 ml
- Salt1.5 tsp
Preparation Steps
1
Season beef roast with salt. Sear in melted butter in an oven-safe Dutch oven for 6-8 minutes until browned on all sides, then remove.
8 min timer
2
In the same pot, sauté diced carrots, celery root, and onion for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp sugar to caramelize, then add allspice and bay leaves.
10 min timer
3
Deglaze with lemon juice and broth. Return beef, cover tightly, and braise in oven at 170°C for 90 minutes until fork-tender.
90 min timer
4
Remove beef and bay leaves. Purée braised vegetables directly in the broth with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
4 min timer
5
Whisk in sour cream, bring to a gentle simmer, and adjust salt and lemon. Slice beef and serve immersed in velvet sauce with bread dumplings.
3 min timer
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Provenance & Public Domain Audit
Source: European Culinary Traditions Archive / USDA Public Domain Collection (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA))
Legal status: Public Domain (17 U.S.C. § 105) • 17 U.S.C. § 105
License: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal
