Svíčková: Czech Beef in Cream Sauce

Svíčková: Czech Beef in Cream Sauce

Svíčková (svíčková na smetaně) is the Czech national dish: beef tenderloin in a thick sweet-sour cream and root-vegetable sauce, served with bread dumplings and cranberry jam. This is Czech comfort food.

History of the dish

Svíčková is mentioned in Czech cookbooks since the 19th century. The name comes from 'svíčková' — the 'candle' cut (the name for beef tenderloin due to its shape). The dish is inseparable from Czech national identity.

Key ingredients

Beef tenderloin, lard (larded into the meat), carrot, parsley root, celeriac, onion, butter, beef stock, bay leaf, thyme, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, cranberry jam.

How to cook at home

Marinate the meat with the vegetables for 24 hours in the fridge — this is an important step. Pass the sauce through a sieve and whisk in the sour cream. Serve only with houskový knedlík (bread dumplings) — it is tradition.