Vepřo Knedlo Zelo

You cannot go more Czech than with VEPŘO KNEDLO ZELO – Pork Roast, Czech dumplings, and sauerkraut. You will find this comforting food in every Czech traditional restaurant. It would also be a traditional meal that my mum cooked for Sunday lunch.
Pork – Pork is a very traditional meal in the Czech Republic. You will see it mixed in with a lot of our dishes. When I was growing up, we used to get a little pig at the start of the year, and when it was big enough, we invited the butcher and killed the pig. It was a big occasion for the neighborhood and usually stretched out throughout the day. We have used every single bit of the pig to make various dishes during the year. Everyone had to help, and my job was to stir the blood which we used to make a soup. The soup was always a little bit salty from my tears as I was grieving for my pig friend.
Czech Dumplings Knedlíky (plural) or knedle are one of the most common side dishes in Czech cuisine. The best-known type is called houskové knedlíky (bread dumplings).
Czech dumplings and Sauerkraut are also things that we used to make from scratch. Australia has different ingrediencies and spices, but I have done my best to make this dish as authentic as possible and I hope you will enjoy it.

Pork Shoulder

1. Preheat the oven to 320 °F (160 °C). Cut onion roughly. Peel cloves of garlic and press them.
2. Salt the meat generously. Dust it with pepper and crushed caraway seeds from all sides. Then rub the pressed garlic onto the pork.
3. Grease a roasting pan with lard. Pour the onion over the bottom of the pan. Place the seasoned meat on the onion. Pour in 1 cup of water.
4. Roast the pork uncovered for 2-2.½ hours or until soft (Depending on the size of the pork ) Flip the meat from time to time, so that it has a nice brown color over the whole surface. Also, stir the onion occasionally to prevent it from burning. If all the water evaporates, add ⅓ cup more.
5. Transfer roasted meat to a clean plate, cover with foil and keep it warm.

Sauerkraut

1. Before you start cooking: Peel the onion and chop it finely. Drain the sauerkraut; reserve the brine for later. If the sauerkraut contains big pieces, cut it up into smaller ones.
2. In a pot, melt the pork lard over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry until the onion is translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent the onion from burning. It takes about 5-8 minutes. Add the crushed caraway seeds and stir.
3. Add the sauerkraut and mix. If the reserved brine is not too sour, you can add about ½ cup. If the brine is too acidic, add ½ cup water to it. Or make a compromise and add ¼ of the brine plus ¼ of water to the sauerkraut.
4. After 15 minutes, stir in sugar. Cook on low heat for a further 15 minutes. Braised sauerkraut will thicken and get a nice glossy look.

Dumplings

1. DICE STALE WHITE BREAD
   Start with cutting bread. Cut the stale white bread into ⅓-inch cubes. The bread should be 2-3 days old, not fresh.
2. DUMPLING DOUGH
   Combine the flour with 2 pinches of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Put yeast in the center, sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Pour in ⅓ of lukewarm milk and stir with a little flour using a fork. Let it sit for 5 minutes until yeast dissolves.
   In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining milk with an egg. Add to flour with yeast.
   Knead the dumpling dough until smooth. Use your hands (my choice) or a kitchen mixer with a proper attachment. Sprinkle with a bit of flour if the dough is too sticky.
   Only now add cubed bread and combine.
   Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 45 minutes in a warm place until it doubles.
3. MAKE DUMPLING LOAVES
   Meantime, prepare a pot with low boiling salted water to boil the dumpling or a steamer in case you intend to steam the dumpling.
   Divide the proofed dough into two pieces, form a cylinder shape out of each piece. One loaf should be about 25 cm long and 10 cm thick.
4. COOK DUMPLINGS
   Boil the dumplings in simmering salted water for 18 minutes, flipping the roll halfway through (after 9 minutes). Cover the pot with a lid while boiling.
5. FINISH COOKED DUMPLINGS
   Take out the cooked dumplings carefully. A large dumpling spatula might be useful.
   Prick them immediately a few times with a fork. Pricking the rolls when taken out of the water is necessary. Otherwise, the steam would remain inside, and the dumplings would not be as fluffy as they should be.
6. SLICE THE DUMPLINGS
   The old-fashioned technique of how Czechs slice dumplings is using a cotton thread. You can cut a still warm dumpling roll with a very sharp knife.