Moravský vrabec
Moravský vrabec: Moravian roast pork cubes with garlic and caraway, dumplings and cabbage
"Moravian sparrow" has no bird in it: it is cubes of pork shoulder, roughly sparrow-sized, rubbed with garlic and caraway and roasted with onion until browned and tender, a Sunday lunch dish of the villages and inns of Moravia. Unlike the sliced pork roast of Bohemia, the small pieces give lots of crispy edges and a rich, garlicky pan juice. It comes with bread dumplings and stewed sauerkraut to soak it all up. The usual slip is cramming the meat into a small dish, so it boils instead of browning; spread it out in one layer. Pork should reach 71 °C and be tender enough to cut with a fork. Lard is the traditional fat; oil works too. Chef's tip: rub the pork with the garlic and caraway the night before and leave it covered in the fridge; the flavour goes right through.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shoulder or neckcut into 4 cm cubes
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp caraway seedslightly crushed
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperground
- 2 tbsp pork lard or sunflower oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 cup hot water
- 8 slices bread dumplings, to serve (optional)
- 1 ⅛ lb stewed sauerkraut, to serve (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix the 2 ¼ lb boneless pork shoulder or neck with the 6 cloves garlic, 2 tsp caraway seeds, 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) in the fridge.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Melt the 2 tbsp pork lard or sunflower oil in a large roasting tin on the hob and fry the 2 onions for 5 minutes, until softened.
6 minStep 3: Spread the pork over the onions in a single layer, dust with the 1 tbsp plain flour and pour in half the ½ cup hot water.
3 minStep 4: Cover with foil and roast for 50 minutes.
50 minStep 5: Uncover, stir and roast for 35–40 minutes more, adding the rest of the ½ cup hot water as the tin dries, until the pork is browned at the edges, fork-tender and reads 160°F.
40 minStep 6: Scrape up the brown bits into the juices and serve with 8 slices bread dumplings, to serve and 1 ⅛ lb stewed sauerkraut, to serve.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moravský vrabec take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 100 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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