Moravský vrabec means Moravian sparrow, and no sparrows are harmed in its making. The name refers to the size of the pieces: pork shoulder cut into small, bird sized chunks, rubbed with garlic, salt and caraway, then braised and roasted until tender inside and browned at the edges. It is a Sunday dish of Moravia, the eastern half of the country, whose capital Brno is home to the Masaryk circuit, so it is our natural regional choice.

It is traditionally served with dumplings and cabbage, the holy trinity of Czech lunch. We pair it with braised red cabbage and boiled potatoes to keep the work manageable. The pan juices, rich with caraway and garlic, are the best part; make sure everyone gets some.

The pork

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) boneless pork shoulder
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil or lard
• 2 yellow onions
• 1 cup (240 ml) water or light stock
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

The red cabbage

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 small red onion
• 1 small red cabbage
• 1 tart apple
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water

The potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) potatoes
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

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