Svíčková
Svíčková — braised beef sirloin in cream sauce — is the Czech Republic's defining Sunday dish and a centrepiece of Czech culinary identity. The name refers to the cut: svíčková means candle in Czech, describing the shape of the tenderloin. The dish appears in cookbooks from the nineteenth century and remains the standard measure of a Czech cook's skill. The sauce is built on root vegetables — parsley root, celeriac, carrots — cooked with the braising liquid until soft, then blended and enriched with heavy cream. The characteristic flavour is sweet-sour: vinegar in the marinade and a small amount of sugar balance the cream and the richness of the meat. The bread dumplings — knedlíky — are the essential accompaniment, the vehicle for the sauce. A spoonful of cranberry sauce and a slice of lemon are traditional garnishes.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Can be frozen
Great for meal prep
Slow simmered
Low and slow cooking
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1.2 kg beef sirloin (top round or topside)
- 100 g smoked bacon, cut in thin strips for larding (optional)
- 30 g butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 parsnip, diced
- 150 g celeriac, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 allspice berries
- 10 black peppercorns
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 200 ml dry white wine
- 500 ml beef stock
- 200 ml heavy cream (33% fat)
- 1 tbsp plain flour (optional, for thickening)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt, to taste
- To serve: whipped cream, cranberry compote, lemon slice, knedliky
How to make it
- 1Lard the beef sirloin (1.2 kg) with thin strips of smoked bacon, or truss it tightly with kitchen twine; season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper on all sides.
- 2Heat 30 g butter and 1 tbsp oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high and sear the beef on every side for 8-10 minutes until a deep brown crust forms, then transfer to a plate.
- 3In the same pot brown the mirepoix (1 large carrot, 1 parsnip, 150 g celeriac, 1 large onion, all diced) for 10-12 minutes until caramelised at the edges; add 2 bay leaves, 6 allspice berries, 10 whole black peppercorns, the zest of half a lemon and 1 tbsp mustard.
- 4Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until it darkens, then deglaze with 200 ml dry white wine and 500 ml beef stock, scraping the bottom, and nestle the beef back in on top of the vegetables.
- 5Cover and braise at 160°C for 1.5 to 2 hours, turning the beef every 30 minutes, until a fork slides in with no resistance.
- 6Lift the beef onto a board and tent with foil to rest; blend the cooking liquid and vegetables with a stick blender until smooth and pass the sauce through a fine sieve back into the pot.
- 7Stir in 200 ml heavy cream and, if needed, 1 tbsp flour slaked in a little cold water; simmer 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon glossily, then adjust with salt, 1 tsp sugar and a squeeze of lemon to balance the sweet-sour.
- 8Slice the beef against the grain into 1 cm slices, ladle the warm sauce over the top and garnish with a spoon of whipped cream, cranberry compote and a lemon slice; serve with houskove knedliky (bread dumplings).
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
