Vepřo Knedlo Zelo (Pork, Dumplings and Sauerkraut)

For the Meat:

• Preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320° F.
• Wash and pat down the meat dry with paper towels. Season it well with salt and a sprinkle of cumin on all sides. Rub the meat with crushed garlic all over.
• Grease the bottom of an ovenproof dish with a bit of lard, then add the sliced onion. Place the meat on top and spread the remainder of the lard all over.
• Pour a glass of water and place the meat in the oven. Bake for approximately 2- 2½ hours. Turn the meat over regularly to brown all over and baste it with the juices that form during cooking to keep it moist.
• When done, retain the juices to use as gravy when serving.

For the Dumplings:

• Begin by proofing the yeast. Take a medium-sized bowl and add the warmed milk, yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and combine them well. Let it rest for about 10 minutes until the mixture starts to form bubbles.
• In a separate bowl stir together the flour with a pinch of salt and form a well in the middle. Beat the egg lightly and add it to the flour, then pour the yeast mixture in as well. Throw the cubed bread rolls in as well.
• Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, adding warm water as necessary as you knead until you get a smooth and elastic dough.
• Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave the dough to rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour in a draft-free place until doubled in volume.
• Heat up a pan of water with a pinch of salt and bring it to a boil.
• When the dough is ready, roll it out into 2 or 3 10-inch long cylinders, and place the dumplings in the boiling water to cook for about 20 minutes. Turn them halfway through to make sure they cook evenly.
• When they're done, transfer the dumplings to a wide dish and pierce them with a fork to release any trapped steam. Cut the dumplings into 1/2-inch (1 cm) slices.

For the Cabbage:

• Drain the sour juice from the sauerkraut and retain for later. Rinse and drain the sauerkraut to get rid of excess sourness. Leave to drain well in a colander then chop it finely.
• Add the cabbage to a deep pot, cover with boiling water and season to taste with salt, pepper and some crushed cumin seeds and bring to a simmer.
• Meanwhile, melt 1-2 tablespoons of lard in a frying pan and sauté the onion until translucent than add in the diced bacon, frying it until browned and crispy.
• Stir in the chopped cabbage and season to taste with salt, sugar, pepper and crushed cumin seeds.
• Add about 200 ml of water and bring to a simmer. Cook for around 20 minutes until softened. Check for taste about 15 minutes in, and adjust as necessary, adding 1-2 tablespoons of sauerkraut juice if necessary. Take off the heat.
• Once everything is done, prepare the servings, adding juicy pork meat, dumpling slices and soft sauerkraut to each plate and serve hot.

Enjoy!