Pork cheeks à la Segedin: A festive Sunday lunch the whole family will love

A restaurant and bakery on the right bank of the Vltava

On the right bank of the Vltava River, we cook without frills, bake crispy sourdough bread, and serve honestly treated beer. We process whole animals, from snout to tail—under the watchful eye of chef Honza Všetečka. The kitchen meets the bakery here: we fry sourdough, recycle yesterday's bread, and aren't afraid to experiment. We've earned a Bib Gourmand award from the Michelin inspectors.

Come and taste!

Ingredients for 4 servings: 

Pork cheeks:

• 900 g pork cheeks
• salt
• a little fat for browning the cheeks
• 300 g lard 
• 90 g onion
• 6 g mixed spices (bay leaf, whole black peppercorns, and allspice)
• A sprig of fresh rosemary

Sauce:

• 175 g onion
• 270 g pork belly
• 400 g sauerkraut
• salt 
• cumin
• 30 g ground red bell pepper (sweet)
• pork cheek drippings
• sauerkraut brine
• 250 ml broth (beef, pork, chicken, or vegetable)
• 250 ml cooking cream (33%)
• 130 g crème fraîche
• 130 g butter

Sautéed sauerkraut:

• 100 g sauerkraut
• 100 ml oil

Roasted cabbage:

• 1.4 kg head cabbage (or sauerkraut, depending on the season)
• 400 g onions, finely chopped
• 40 g lard
• 2 g caraway seeds
• sugar to taste
• vinegar to taste

Semolina gnocchi:

• 1 egg
• 200 ml of semi-skimmed milk
• 200 g semolina
• 4 g nutmeg
• salt
• 300 ml cooking cream (33%)
• 300 ml of semi-skimmed milk
• 300 ml chicken broth

Instructions: 

1. Season the pork cheeks with salt and let them come to room temperature, letting them rest for approx. 20 mins. Then sear them in a skillet with a little lard (or other fat) to seal in the juices. Preheat the oven to 150 °C.
2. Place the seared cheeks in a roasting pan, pour melted rendered lard over them, and add the onion cut into wedges, wild spices, and rosemary. Cover the roasting pan with a lid, place it in the oven, and roast slowly until tender, for around an hour and a half.
3. Remove the cheeks and pour the drippings with the lard into a separate container. Once cooled, the lard will separate, leaving the drippings. Collect them and use them in the sauce. 
4. Finely chop the onion for the sauce and dice the pork belly. Sauté them together until golden brown, then add the sauerkraut, salt, and caraway seeds. Stir and sprinkle in the ground paprika. Pour in the reserved pork drippings, the sauerkraut juice, and high-quality broth.
5. Simmer the sauce briefly, then add cooking cream and crème fraîche. Simmer briefly again. After one minute, remove the sauce from the heat and strain. 
6. Smooth out the strained sauce with butter and blend with an immersion blender to combine all the flavours. (Do not return the strained sauerkraut to the sauce.)
7. Continue by preparing the sautéed sauerkraut. Let some of the sauerkraut drain, pat it dry with a paper towel, and then sauté it in oil. 
8. Now it’s time for the roasted cabbage. Shred the head of cabbage and sauté it in lard along with the onion, caraway seeds, and sugar. Once the sugar has caramelised, pour in the vinegar and let the mixture continue to caramelise over low heat. Sauté the cabbage for about an hour, until it turns a golden brown colour. 
9. For the semolina gnocchi, mix together the eggs, milk, semolina, nutmeg, and salt. Once a firm dough forms, let it rest for twenty minutes. Then, using two spoons, shape the gnocchi and drop them into a hot mixture of milk, cream, and chicken broth. Cook over low heat. 
10. Once the gnocchi float to the surface, let them cook for another 7–8 minutes, then remove them. Place them in a baking dish with melted butter and toss to prevent them from drying out. 
11.  Arrange the roasted cabbage on a plate, spread the pork cheeks on top, and pour the sauce over them. Top with sautéed sauerkraut and place the semolina dumplings alongside.

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