Czech republic - Vepřo knedlo zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut)

Vepřo knedlo zelo (Roast pork with dumplings and sauerkraut)

Roast pork with dumplings and cabbage is colloquially called vepřo-knedlo-zelo. It is believed to be the country’s most popular dish. There are two regional variants in the way that the cabbage is prepared; the Bohemian method and that of the Moravians. The Bohemians tend to eat their cabbage sour, so they use Sauerkraut in the preparation of the dish. The Moravians prefer their cabbage much sweeter and use fresh cabbage often with a little sugar. Both styles are available nationally and both taste equally as good. The real success of this tasty Czech dish lies in the quality of the pork, which should be on the fatty side rather than lean. The additional fat makes this into a succulent, juicy roast. Whilst the dumplings and cabbage are the traditional accompaniment, mashed potatoes would work well as a substitute. Beer is the perfect beverage with this meal.

Recipe: Vepřová Pečeně s Knedlíky a se Zelím
1 kg of pork roast
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
Generous pinch of caraway seeds
salt

For the dumplings:
180 g flour
A pinch salt
1-2 eggs
235 ml milk
1-2 white bread rolls, diced
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the cabbage:
1 head of cabbage
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of lard or butter
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
sugar,salt and vinegar to taste

Rub the meat with the crushed garlic and salt then sprinkle on the caraway seeds, and roast the meat in the oven. If the meat is on the lean side, pour a little water underneath it. Cover the meat, but uncover later when nearly cooked. Mix all of the dumpling ingredients together, but add the cubes of bread roll last of all. This mixture should form a dough, which can be shaped into 2-3 long baguette shapes. Lower them into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Once cooked – they should be very soft but not falling apart, slice them into 2 cm thick slices with a sharp knife. Slice the cabbage into thin strips and blanch in a pan of boiling water then sieve and remove the excess water. Melt some of the lard and gently fry the onion, then add the cabbage and the caraway seeds. Continue cooking until the cabbage is tender and translucent. Avoid letting it stick to the bottom of the pan by adding a little water. Add the sugar, salt and vinegar until the cabbage tastes sweet-and-sour.