Old Country Sauerbraten Recipes

TRADITIONAL GERMAN SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Wipe beef with a damp cloth and season with salt and pepper. Place seasoned beef in a large glass bowl.
• Combine vinegar, carrots, onion, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, and parsley in a bowl; pour over beef. Cover dish tightly with a lid or plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate beef, turning daily, for 3 to 7 days.
• Drain meat, reserving liquid and vegetables. Rub flour over all sides of beef.
• Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown beef on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Add onions, carrots, and 2 cups reserved liquid. Cover Dutch oven, lower heat to medium-low, and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours. Transfer beef to a serving platter.
• Stir gingersnap crumbs and sugar into the liquid in Dutch oven; cook and stir until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour sauce over meat.

TRADITIONAL SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Place beef rump roast, onions, vinegar, water, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, sugar, cloves, and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning meat daily. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry with paper towels, reserving marinade.
• Season flour to taste with salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle flour mixture over beef.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat; cook beef until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Pour reserved marinade over beef, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until beef is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove beef to a platter and slice.
• Strain solids from remaining liquid and continue cooking over medium heat. Add gingersnap cookies and simmer until gravy is thickened about 10 minutes. Serve gravy over sliced beef.

OLD-COUNTRY SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Place bay leaves and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. In a large saucepan, combine the water, vinegar, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Add spice bag. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; cool completely. , Place the roast in a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add half of the marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 3 days, turning once each day. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade., Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade, onions and spice bag. In a Dutch oven, brown roast in butter on all sides. Sprinkle with sugar. Add reserved marinade. Bring to a boil. Stir in molasses. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until meat is tender. , Remove roast to a cutting board. Cut into thin slices; set aside. Skim fat from cooking juices. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into juices. Add gingersnaps. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Return meat to gravy; heat through. Serve with spaetzle.

SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat combine the water, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Pat the bottom round dry and rub with vegetable oil and salt on all sides. Heat a large saute pan over high heat; add the meat and brown on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• When the marinade has cooled to a point where you can stick your finger in it and not be burned, place the meat in a non-reactive vessel and pour over the marinade. Place into the refrigerator for 3 days. If the meat is not completely submerged in the liquid, turn it over once a day.
• After 3 days of marinating, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover and place on the middle rack of the oven and cook until tender, approximately 4 hours.
• Remove the meat from the vessel and keep warm. Strain the liquid to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Add the raisins if desired. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.