Westphalian Sauerbraten

Submitted by Mia in Germany

"This is the sauerbraten I grew up with at my grandma's, my absolute favourite dish ever. We usually had it with potato dumplings and red cabbage. Preparation time does not include marinating time!!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 3 lbs chuck roast
• 2 cups cider vinegar or 2 cups red wine vinegar
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 cloves
• 2 laurel leaves
• 5 peppercorns
• 5 juniper berries
• 2 medium onions
• 1 medium carrot
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 ounces gingerbread
• 4 tablespoons apple butter
• 1 -2 tablespoon clarified butter or 1 -2 tablespoon lard
• 1 garlic clove

directions

1. For marinating the roast:

2. Cube onion and carrot, bring to a boil with broth, cloves, laurel leaves, peppercorns and juniper berries. Immediately remove from heat, let cool.
3. Mix cold liquid (with vegetables and spices in it) with cider or red wine vinegar, pour over chuck roast and let marinate 4-5 days in the fridge (in a ziplock bag or airtight container).
4. After marinating, heat 1-2 tablespoons clarified butter or lard in a large pot, get meat out of the marinade and sear from all sides until browned.
5. Add the vegetables from the marinade and sear briefly, too.
6. Deglaze with half of the marinade.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add minced garlic.
9. Let cook for 1 hour.
10. Crumble in the gingerbread and add 4 tablespoons apple butter.
11. Let cook for 1 more hour.
12. Add some water every now and then, if necessary.
13. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary, and thicken the sauce with some cornstarch to taste.
14. Serve with potato dumplings and red cabbage.
15. Enjoy!

Reviews

[Linky]

I confess, I shortened the marinating time to 24 hrs and cooked the meat in a crockpot! I had invited company for Sunday dinner and didn't read the recipe carefully enough to realize I need a few days for marinating - despite that, it was excellent. The meat was super tender and flavorful. I chose a different cut of meat - chuck roast seemed too fatty so I bought a boneless eye of round. Also, I don't know how "gingerbread" translates, but I used "ginger snaps" in the sauce. Every recipe in the states for sauerbraten that I've ever seen calls for ginger snaps - in fact, I don't even know if gingerbread is commercially available except for at Christmas time. Anyway, we loved this! Danke!