Svíčková

Preparation

Svíčková, or svíčková na smetaně (beef sirloin) is a typical Czech dish and one of the most popular Czech meals. It is sirloin boiled or roasted with vegetables (carrots, parsley root, celeriac, and blue onion, red onion, silver onion or pink onion), spiced with black pepper, juniper, allspice, bay leaf, and baked together, then vegetables and gravy are gathered, mashed/mixed with sour double cream and boiled for sauce. It is generally served with bread dumplings (houskové knedlíky), whipped cream and cranberry sauce. Note: In most restaurants and canteens the staff actually boils the beef and vegetables together in one pot, instead of roasting it.

Varieties

Svíčková na smetaně is served with a cream (smetana) topping and usually with cranberry sauce and slice of lemon in many restaurants around the Czech Republic.

Bohemian immigrants to the United States following the First World War have passed on an older variation of the dish to subsequent generations, while regional tastes and product availability have influenced its preparation. Svíčková made in the Chicago area, for example, rarely includes vegetables in its final presentation, but instead incorporates them into a vinegar-based marinade suffused with crushed allspice and bay leaves.

Vegetarian restaurants in Czech Republic also prepare this dish without the use of meat. Instead, they use a vegetarian sirloin that is usually made from soy and the broth does not contain meat. It's also possible to use other substitutes for meat, such as fried portabella mushroom.