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Svíčková

The Czech national dish — sirloin in a velvety vegetable cream sauce, served with bread dumplings and cranberry.

⏱ 25 minPrep time
🔥 2 hrCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Svíčková

Svíčková is the crown jewel of Czech cuisine — a roasted beef sirloin cloaked in a velvety sauce of root vegetables and cream, sweetened with a whisper of sugar and sharpened with vinegar. It’s refined, rich, and unmistakably festive.

In the Czech Republic it’s the classic Sunday and holiday roast, served with bread dumplings, a spoonful of cranberry compote, and a curl of lemon. The sauce is the star — silky, complex, and worth every patient minute.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Season the beef generously and brown it on all sides in the butter and oil. Set aside.
  2. In the same pot, cook the onion, carrots, parsnip, and celeriac until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and flour and cook 2 minutes.
  3. Add the broth, bay leaf, and allspice, return the beef, cover, and braise gently for 1 1/2-2 hours until tender.
  4. Remove the beef and rest it under foil. Purée the sauce with the vegetables until completely smooth, then press through a sieve.
  5. Return the sauce to the pot, stir in the cream, and season with vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes.
  6. Slice the beef and serve over the sauce with bread dumplings, cranberry compote, and a lemon wedge.

💡 Chef tips & storage

The sauce must be sieved to velvet — don't skip it. Purists serve it with houskové knedlíky (bread dumplings) to soak up every drop.

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Recipe details

Prep25 min
Cook2 hr
Servings6
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →