Czech marinated beef

Svickova 

 

 

4-6 days marinated, then 3 1/4 hours 

Serves 4

1 kg /2 1/4 lb fillet of beef, in one piece 

100 g/4 oz fat from smoked steamy bacon 

salt

45 ml/ 3 tlbs vegetable oil 

15 ml/1 tbls flour 

500 ml/ 18 ft oz yoghurt 

5-10 ml /1-2 tap lemon juice (optional) 

Lingonberries or cranberries in syrup, to serve 

For the marinade 

1/2 Spanish onions, finely chopped 

1 stick celery, finely chopped 

1 medium-sized carrots, chopped 

2-3 sprigs of parsley 

1 bay leaf

4 whole allspice berries 

8 black peppercorns

Pinch of thyme 

75 ml /5 tbls red wine vinegar 

1) Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a saucepan of 600 ml/ 1 pt water. Bring the liquid to the boil, simmer of 5 minutes, then cool. 

2) Chopped the fat into strips 25 mm/1 in long, 5 my / 1/4 in the wide, and insert the strips in the beef all over with a larding needle. Lightly salt the meat and put it into a deep casserole dish. Pour over the marinade and leave, covered, in the refrigerator for 4-6 days, turning the meat over once everyday.

3) Remove the meat from the marinade and take the vegetables out with a slotted spoon. Heat the meat once every day. 

4) Heat the oil in a large frying-pan over medium heat and brown the meat on all sides. Put the meat back in the casserole dish, with the marinade. 

5) fry the vegetables for 2 minutes in some oil and them to the casserole in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hours,or until the meat is tender. 

6) When the meat is done, remove it from the dish,slice it and keep warm. 

7) Mix the flour with the yoghurt, stirring well to get rid of any lumps. Pour the juices and vegetables from the casserole dish into a large saucepan and add the yoghurt mixture. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring, then remove from the heat and sieve it into a warm sauceboat.

8) Taste the sauce and lemon juice if necessary. Pour a little sauce over the beef and serve the dish immediately. Pour the rest of the sauce in a warm sauceboat and serve it and the Lingonberries or cranberries in syrup separately.