Vepřo knedlo zelo
Czech roast pork with bread dumplings and sweet-sour cabbage
Ask anyone in Prague, Brno or a village pub in Moravia for the most Czech meal of all and they will name vepřo knedlo zelo: roast pork, dumplings and cabbage, eaten at Sunday lunch and washed down in pubs with a cold lager. This is a pork dish: shoulder rubbed with garlic, caraway and salt and roasted slowly in a little water until it falls into tender slices, the pan juices becoming the gravy. Alongside go slices of soft bread dumpling and red or white cabbage braised sweet and sour. The trap is roasting the pork too hot and too dry; a splash of water in the tin and a low oven keep it juicy. Chef's tip: lay the pork fat side down for the first hour, then turn it fat side up so the fat renders and crisps at the end.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the pork
For the cabbage
For quick bread dumplings
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Mix 5 garlic cloves, 2 tsp caraway seeds and 2 ½ tsp salt and rub it all over 3 ⅓ lb pork shoulder (boneless, with fat). If you have time, leave it covered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Scatter 2 onions in a roasting tin, lay the pork on top fat side down and pour in 1 ¼ cups water. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour.
60 minStep 3: Meanwhile make the dumpling dough: mix 14 oz plain flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 tsp salt, then add ¾ cup warm milk or plant milk and 1 egg and knead for 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough. Knead in 3 ½ oz stale white bread, cover and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
50 minStep 4: Turn the pork fat side up, baste with the juices, and roast uncovered for another 1½ hours, basting every 30 minutes and adding a little water if the tin dries. It is ready when golden and a fork slides in easily; the centre should be at least 145°F, though shoulder becomes tender at around 185°F.
90 minStep 5: Shape the dough into 2 logs about 6 cm thick. Leave 15 minutes, then lower into a wide pan of simmering salted water, cover and cook for 10 minutes; turn and cook 10 minutes more. They should feel springy and a skewer comes out clean.
35 minStep 6: Lift the dumplings out and immediately prick them with a skewer to let steam out, so they stay fluffy. Slice with a thread or serrated knife.
Step 7: For the cabbage, melt 2 tbsp lard or sunflower oil in a wide pan, soften 1 onion for 5 minutes, then add 1 ¾ lb white cabbage, 1 tsp caraway seeds, 1 tsp salt and 100 ml water. Cover and braise for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft.
30 minStep 8: Stir 3 tbsp cider vinegar and 2 tbsp sugar into the cabbage, sprinkle over 1 tbsp plain flour and cook 3 more minutes until glossy. Taste: it should be clearly sweet and sour.
3 minStep 9: Lift out the pork and rest it, loosely covered, for 15 minutes. Pour the tin juices and onions into a pan, whisk in 1 tbsp plain flour and simmer for 5 minutes, adding water to make a pourable gravy; strain if you like.
15 minStep 10: Slice the pork and serve with dumpling slices, cabbage and gravy spooned over. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 820 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vepřo knedlo zelo take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 180 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 garlic cloves?
- 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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