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1
Brown the Beef
15 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~200°C (400°F)
Melt half the butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides, about 3 minutes per side, until deep brown. Lift it out and set aside; the brown crust is where the flavour of the sauce begins.
Do not crowd the pot or move the beef around — leave it alone until the crust forms, then turn.
Done when: Deep brown crust on every side, with browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
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2
Braise with Root Vegetables
100 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (200°F)
Add the rest of the butter, the onion, carrots, parsnips and celeriac to the pot and cook 5 minutes until the onion softens. Return the beef, add the bay leaf, allspice and broth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for about 100 minutes, turning the beef once, until it is tender enough to slice cleanly.
Keep the liquid at the barest simmer — a rolling boil toughens the meat and clouds the sauce.
Done when: Beef yields easily to a knife and a skewer slides in with no resistance; the vegetables are completely soft.
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3
Shape & Rise the Dumplings
10 Mins
No heat
While the beef braises, punch the risen dough down and shape it into 2 logs about 5 cm thick on a floured surface. Cover and leave to rise again for 20 minutes. The dough should feel light and spring back slowly when pressed.
Flour your hands, not the dough — extra flour on the surface makes heavy dumplings.
Done when: Two smooth logs, risen and puffy, springing back slowly when pressed.
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4
Blend & Finish the Sauce
15 Mins
Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)
Lift the beef out, cover it and keep it warm. Fish out the bay leaf and allspice, then blend the vegetables and braising liquid until completely smooth. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, stir in the 30 g flour and cook 1 minute, then whisk in the blended sauce. Simmer 5 minutes, stir in the cream, lemon juice, vinegar and 10 g sugar, and season. The sauce should coat a spoon and taste gently sweet-sour.
Blend in batches and hold the lid down with a towel — hot sauce splashes badly in a blender.
Done when: A pale, silky sauce that coats the back of a spoon, with a gentle sweet-sour balance.
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5
Boil & Slice the Dumplings
20 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Lower in the dough logs, cover and boil 18 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway. Lift out, prick with a fork to let the steam out, and slice into 2 cm rounds with a thread or a sharp knife. Slice the beef across the grain, lay it in the sauce, and serve with the dumplings, whipped sour cream, lemon and cranberry jam.
Pricking the dumplings as soon as they leave the water stops them collapsing as they cool.
Done when: Dumplings are pale, springy and cooked through with no raw centre; beef slices are tender and pink-free inside.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve two slices of beef per person, ladled with sauce, with three dumpling slices alongside and a spoonful of whipped sour cream, a lemon wedge and cranberry jam on the side.
Czechia
2h 25m
France
Vietnam