DISH RESEARCH · Dish
Svíčková na smetaně
Czech braised beef served in a smooth root-vegetable cream sauce thickened with roux.
About Svíčková na smetaně
Svíčková na smetaně is a celebrated Czech dish of sliced braised beef with a creamy root-vegetable sauce. This profile follows Czech author Petra Kupská's top-blade version, using roux to give the sauce its traditional satin texture.
Beef and bacon provide savoury depth, balanced by sweet carrots, parsley root, celeriac, onion and apple. Cream and butter round the sauce, while vinegar and lemon add brightness and bay, allspice and peppercorn bring warm fragrance.
Slices of tender beef are covered with a smooth, pale golden sauce that is thick enough to coat without becoming pasty. The blended vegetables leave no large pieces, and the finished sauce has a glossy, velvety body.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Milk, Wheat (gluten).
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Svíčková na smetaně
Cook Like Czechs' Braised Beef with Root-Vegetable Cream Sauce.
- Beef top bladeBraised meat
- Fat baconBeef larding and savoury fat
- Parsley rootRoot-vegetable sauce base
- CarrotsSweet root-vegetable base
- CeleriacEarthy root-vegetable base
- OnionsSavoury sauce base
- AppleGentle fruit sweetness
- LardBeef-browning fat
- ButterVegetable sauté and roux fat
- Granulated sugarSauce balance
- Heavy creamCreamy sauce finish
- VinegarSauce acidity
- Lemon juiceFinal acidity
- All-purpose wheat flourRoux thickener
- Bay leavesBraised spice
- Black peppercornsBraised spice
- Allspice berriesBraised spice
- SaltSeasoning
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Beef top blade: . The source fixes top blade from its recommended beef cuts; the established broader beef route is used while retaining the exact cut
- Fat bacon: . The source does not provide the bacon's curing agents, additives or full commercial formulation
- Parsley root:
- Carrots:
- Celeriac:
- Onions:
- Apple:
- Lard:
- Butter:
- Granulated sugar:
- Heavy cream:
- Vinegar: . The source does not state the vinegar's substrate or commercial formulation
- Lemon juice:
- All-purpose wheat flour:
- Bay leaves:
- Black peppercorns:
- Allspice berries:
- Salt:
Origins & food traditions
Czech food author Petra Kupská supplies the complete selected Svíčková recipe and explains the traditional importance of a roux-thickened root-vegetable cream sauce. VisitCzechia independently identifies Svíčková na smetaně as a crown dish of Czech cuisine and corroborates its braised beef, root vegetables and creamy sauce identity.
Countries
- Czech Republic
- CzechiaCatalogue link pending review
Cuisines & regions
- Czech Cuisine
- Czech CuisineCatalogue link pending review