Food doesn’t always have to be ‘low carb’, ‘keto’, ‘whole 30’, ‘Atkins’, ‘low fat’, ‘GI’ or ‘detox’. Sometimes food can just be good old fashioned delicious comfort food and that is where this meal comes in.

We had this meal quite often in our house growing up and I’m sure people all over the Czech Republic and their descendants all over the world still eat this meal quite frequently. It’s just GOOD! And if anything tastes like home to a Czech person… this would be it!

I have always loved the sweet and sour cabbage and other than garlic my favourite spice is the caraway seed, probably even more so now because my husband doesn’t love it so much so I eat it less often. But this meal wouldn’t be even close to authentic without it so it stays. The cabbage to the pork is kinda like cranberries are to turkey. It is so addictive that you won’t mind having two or more meals worth when you make this, it’s just the two of us here unless people are coming over so we will (okay I will) eat it for a few days.

I know some of you are not going to be terribly pleased with some of these instructions and I realize that it can be challenging when you might not have eaten this and are trying it for the first time but with difference sizes of roasts and cabbages it’s really difficult to give exact measurements. Go with the flow here and rest assured you’ll enjoy the outcome.

Roast Pork

• Pork Roast 2-4 lbs (Sirloin or Blade)
• 1-2 onions diced
• 1-2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 5-8 garlic cloves minced or more
• salt
• pepper
• drizzle of oil
• 1/4 – 1/2 Cup flour

Place the roast in a nice heavy cast iron roaster drizzled with oil (I generally use avocado oil) liberally salt and pepper the whole roast, rub the minced garlic around the whole roast and place diced onions around the roast in the pan.

Roast in oven at 340 – 350 degrees F until the internal temperature of the roast is 145 – 160 degrees F. This should take 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the roast. Once the roast is cooked take it out and set aside while making the gravy.

Place the roaster with all the sauce and bits on the stove and cook until all liquid is gone and the oil and onions have turned a nice golden brown. Add just enough flour so that the mixture is about the consistency of porridge and fry the flour for 3 – 5 minutes. Slowly add 1/2 to 1 cup water mixing and letting it bubble until you have the consistency of a gravy. Flavour with more salt, pepper and fresh minced garlic if you want more garlic flavour. Set the roast back in the roaster until ready to serve, cutting into slices and drizzling with gravy.

Sweet Sour Cabbage

• small head of cabbage
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
• 1 -2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons oil
• whole onion diced
• 1 – 2 tablespoons flour

Shred the cabbage the same way you would for coleslaw and put in medium sized pot. Add water (just less than enough to cover the cabbage), salt, caraway seeds and cook until soft. Once the cabbage issue cooked add the vinegar and sugar and in a separate fry pan add diced onions and oil, fry until translucent and add flour, frying on low until lightly golden then add to the cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil and season to a nice sweet sour flavour. Set aside until ready to serve.

Dumplings or Knedliky

• 300 grams or about 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cups of milk (any fat amount will do)
• 1 kaiser or egg bun chopped into small cubes 1/2 inch or so.

Put a large pot of water on the stove. I generally use my large roasting pan because it has the length to accommodate the dumpling. Bring to a slow simmer while you make the dumpling.

Add the first 3 dry ingredients to the mixer first then wet into the middle. Turn the mixer to low level with a dough hook and allow to blend the dough. Keep at low speed until all the flour is incorporated. This may take a while and you may need to stop the mixer and pull the flour from the sides. Once you have a nice soft dough allow the mixer to do the kneading for you for 5-7 minutes.

Take the dough out of the mixer and finish kneading on a dry counter working in the cubed bun pieces. Shape into an even log 2 – 3 inches in diameter and slide it into the covered pot of boiling water. The dumping will expand and you will slowly simmer it for about 20 minutes, turning it halfway through. Once it has boiled take it out carefully and place on cutting board. Cut through the middle and ensure that the centre is done. If it is still doughy and needs a little more you can place it back into the pot and boil for another 3 – 5 minutes. ** We’ve always cut this using thread… yes a thick (light coloured) thread. To do this slide a piece of thread about 12 inches long under the log and criss-cross on the top pulling the thread up through the dumpling cutting it into a nice slice. If you are going to slice with a knife I would recommend using a serrated knife so as not the squish the dumpling.

Slice all the dumpling and serve with sliced meat, all topped with gravy and a side of the sweet and sour cabbage.

This meal can easily be reheated and though the dumplings are best steamed as a leftover it can also be microwaved.

Also any leftover dumplings can always be cut up and fried with eggs the next day… maybe a recipe for another time???

Bon Appetite!