Svícková
Encyclopedia
Svíčková, or svíčková na smetaně (Marinated Beef Sirloin) is a typical and one of the most popular Czech
meals. It is made of vegetables (carrots, parsley root, celeriac and onion), spiced with black pepper, allspice, bay leaf and thyme and boiled with double cream. It is generally served with houskové knedlíky (bread dumplings).
Svíčková na smetaně is served with a cream (smetana) topping and usually with cranberry sauce
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. Beef (round or brisket) is marinated for up to three days before it is roasted and thickly sliced. A gravy is made from a part of this strained marinade, beef stock (optional) and sour cream. It is served with bread dumplings but rarely sauerkraut
, and never (as is currently done in the Czech Republic) with cranberry sauce.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
meals. It is made of vegetables (carrots, parsley root, celeriac and onion), spiced with black pepper, allspice, bay leaf and thyme and boiled with double cream. It is generally served with houskové knedlíky (bread dumplings).
Svíčková na smetaně is served with a cream (smetana) topping and usually with cranberry sauce
Cranberry sauce
Cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly is a sauce or relish made out of cranberries, commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner in North America and Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom...
in many restaurants around the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Bohemian immigrants to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
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. Beef (round or brisket) is marinated for up to three days before it is roasted and thickly sliced. A gravy is made from a part of this strained marinade, beef stock (optional) and sour cream. It is served with bread dumplings but rarely sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
, and never (as is currently done in the Czech Republic) with cranberry sauce.