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Rajská omáčka
Sweet-sour tomato sauce with beef
Rajská omáčka: Czech sweet-sour tomato sauce with boiled beef and dumplings
CzechEvery Czech school canteen has served rajská at some point, and many adults still crave this glossy, sweet and tangy tomato sauce poured over slices of tender boiled beef with bread dumplings. Bohemian cooks make it from the broth of the beef itself, thickened with a light roux and perfumed with clove, allspice, bay and a hint of cinnamon, so it tastes warmly spiced rather than like a pasta sauce. The usual slip is under-seasoning the sweet-sour balance: keep tasting and adjust sugar and vinegar until it is clearly both. Simmer the beef until a fork slides in easily. Pasta or rice work too if you are not making dumplings. Chef's tip: strain the sauce through a sieve at the end for the velvety restaurant texture.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the beef
- 2 lb beef shoulder or brisketin one piece
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 1 carrothalved
- 1 parsley root or parsniphalved
- 3 ½ oz celeriacin chunks
- 2 tsp salt
For the sauce
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- 5 oz tomato paste
- 1 ¼ cups tomato passata
- 3 cloves
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 6 slices bread dumplings (knedlíky), to serve (optional)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put the 2 lb beef shoulder or brisket in a large pot with the 8 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil, skimming off the foam for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Add the 1 carrot, 1 parsley root or parsnip, 3 ½ oz celeriac and 2 tsp salt, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 90 minutes, until a fork slides easily into the beef.
90 minStep 4: Stir in the 1 ⅜ oz plain flour and cook for 2 minutes, until it smells biscuity. Add the 5 oz tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more.
3 minStep 5: Whisk in 600 ml of the hot beef broth a ladle at a time until smooth, then add the 1 ¼ cups tomato passata, 2 bay leaves, 4 allspice berries, 3 cloves and 1 small piece of cinnamon stick.
4 minStep 6: Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often, until it coats the back of a spoon.
20 minStep 7: Remove the whole spices and strain or blend until velvety. Season with the 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, tasting until clearly sweet and sour.
4 minStep 8: Slice the beef across the grain and serve covered in sauce with warm 6 slices bread dumplings (knedlíky), to serve.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rajská omáčka take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of parsley root or parsnip?
- Carrot or swede, same weight.
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