Vepřové pečeně

Gert lush goloptious slices of roast pork served with dumplings, cabbage, and sour cream gravy. Could there be anything better?

For the Vepřové pečeně

Ingredients:
1 kilo pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper to taste
55 grams bacon cut into ½ inch strips
1 medium onion, chopped
1 parsnip, chopped
½ stick of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Caraway seeds
3 tablespoons butter
350 millilitres water (I often use a lager beer instead of water)
225 millilitres sour cream

Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and lard with the bacon strips. In a large lidded pan (one that can be transferred from the hob to the open) brown the vegetables in the butter, add the meat and brown well on all sides. Pour in 120 ml of water (or lager beer), cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and add a further 120 ml of water (or lager beer) and roast in the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for 45 minutes.

Remove the meat from the pan. Mix the flour with the remaining water (or lager beer) and the sour cream and stir into the drippings. Simmer gently for 5 minutes and then rub the gravy through a sieve.

For the Houskový Knedlík (bread dumplings)

Ingredients:
480 grams white flour, preferably OO grade but plain flour will do
1 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
360 millilitres milk
10 slices stale white bread cut into ½ inch cubes

Sift the flour into a bowl. In another bowl lightly beat together the eggs yolks, salt, and milk and the add to the flour. Work the dough until it is shiny and does not stick to the bowl. Cover and let the dough stand for 1 hour. Work the cubes of bread into the dough and then shape into 3 or 4 rolls, 8 by 2 ½ inches. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and put in the dumplings, making sure they do not stick to the bottom. Cover and gently simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked. Remove the dumplings from the pan and slice into ¾ inch thick pieces.

For the cabbage (hlávkové zelí dušené)

Ingredients:
680 grams of cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Salt to taste
1-2 teaspoons sugar
Juice of 1 lemon or vinegar to taste
2 teaspoons flour
240 millilitres water
Oil or fat for frying

Lightly brown the chopped onion in the cooking oil or fat (lard is traditional). Add the water, lemon juice, caraway seeds, and salt and bring to a boil. Add the cabbage and the caraway seeds. Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the flour to thicken the liquid.

To serve

Serve slices of meat with dumplings, cabbage and gravy, and wash down with beer or wine.