"Moravian sparrow" – caraway roast pork bites (Moravský vrabec)

1. Cut the pork shoulder into cubes of about 5 cm – these are the "sparrows".

2. In a bowl mix the salt, pepper, caraway seeds and crushed garlic and rub the meat thoroughly with it; cover and chill for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight).

3. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the onions into thick rings and spread them over the bottom of a roasting tin; sit the meat on top, dot with the lard and pour the water underneath.

4. Roast covered (with foil or a lid) for 45 minutes, then uncover, lower the heat to 190 °C and roast for another 40-50 minutes, basting several times with the juices, until the pieces are crisp and brown outside and tender inside.

5. Take out the meat, bring the oniony juices in the tin to the boil with a little water and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom – this is your gravy.

6. Serve with bread dumplings and braised cabbage, drizzled with the gravy.

Tip: The Moravian sparrow gets its name because the small, browned, roundish pieces of meat look like roast sparrows; in Moravian pubs it's still one of the favourite versions of "vepřo knedlo zelo".