Baltimore-Style Sour Beef and Dumplings (Sauerbraten)

"From Coconut and Lime cooking blog, July 2008. The absolute best recipe for Sour Beef and Dumplings ever, according to my Baltimore-born husband...."
 
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photo by Dee W. photo by Dee W.
photo by Dee W.
Ready In:
30hrs
Ingredients:
19
Yields:
1 sauerbraten
Serves:
6-8

ingredients

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directions

  • WARNING: This part has to be done the day before you want to serve. Stir together all of the marinade ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Place the roast in a nonreactive container (or large ziplock bag) and marinate overnight. The day before is also a good time to make the gingersnaps if, like me, you are using homemade.
  • The next day: Remove the meat and pour the marinade in the slow cooker. In a large skillet, quickly brown all sides of the meat in the canola oil. Add the meat into the slow cooker and turn on low for 6 hours.
  • During the last hour or so of cooking time: Start to make the dumplings. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. In a large bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes and salt and the egg. Stir in the baking powder and add the flour in 1/2 cup increments until the it resembles a dough and the mixture holds its shape when molded (roughly 3 cups). Form into 2 to 4 inch balls. They should be able to hold their shape but not be too floury. Drop them into the water. They should sink, then rise to the surface when cooked through. Set aside.
  • During the last 1/2 hour of cooking time: Skim off any visible fat that may have risen to the top then add the gingersnaps and turn the heat to high.
  • After the time is up, shred the meat a bit with a fork or break it into pieces. Serve hot, with dumplings on the side.

Questions & Replies

  1. I'm trying to find the bottle of Mrs. Minnicks beer and Gettysburg Pennsylvania can anyone help me
     
  2. Hi.You forgot to say how much Flour you need for the Dumplings.Could you please let me know as i am making it today.
     
  3. should you strain the marinade or add all of the ingredients,(onions,carrots, bay leaves)
     
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Reviews

  1. This is NOT a traditional Baltimore Sour Beef recipe nor a traditional German recipe for Sour Beef. They do not call for red wine vinegar. Do yourself a favor and find a different recipe on the web. Pickling spices are key not the spices listed in this recipe. McCormick's makes a great pickling spice (Cinnamon, Allspice, Mustard Seed, Coriander, Bay Leaves, Ginger, Chilies, Cloves, Black Pepper, Mace, Cardamom). If you are lucky enough to live in Baltimore you could "cheat" and buy a bottle of Mrs. Minnick's Sour Beef mix.
     
  2. Not even close. Eisenkrantz would turn over in their grave so would Hausners.....Number one there was no red wine vinegar in any of their pantries....my mother made this a few times a year (we couldn't eat it anymore often due to the amount of calories and full-feeling after eating)....Eisenkrantz used to have a special every Tuesday night in Highlandtown back in the 50s and 60's so another reason mom didn't make this often....her's was so good and the dumplings were so light...it had a slightly sweet spicy taste with thick gravy low on oil and meat so tender it would fall apart....many of the spices are the same but in different proportions...and yes there is vinegar but not nearly this much....and the ginger snaps are authentic (makes the taste sweeter and thickens the gravy).
     
  3. Like many other reviewers, I'm a descendent of the old Baltimore german community, which was comprised mainly of southern Germans. I think the problem with this recipe is the undiluted vinegar. Our marinade( which should be for 3 days minimum) calls for 2 cups red wine vinegar ( I don't think the type of vinegar is a problem) and 2 cups water. The spices are not McCormick- although a wonderful Baltimore company, they didn't complete the spice base. Spices for the marinade are 1 sliced onion,10 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 3 cloves, grated ginger, stick of cinnamon and one lemon, sliced. You can add additional pickling spice if desired. Choose the cut of meat carefully. Remember saurbraten was a way to preserve and tenderise beef. Brown the roast in oil, then add the strained marinade. Roast in oven. For the gravy, add 1 cup gingersnaps to 3 cups cooking liquid. Finally, add one half cup sour cream. My grandfather would have used lebkuchen instead of gingersnaps. He also used juniper berries in the marinade. The recipe for potato dumplings following this recipe is wrong- use russet potatoes well dried after boiling, no leavening at all and as little flour to create tender dumplings that hold together. Grandfathe would have insisted on a piece of buttered crouton in the middle of each! Hope you like our version!
     
  4. I grew up in Baltimore. My grandmother made sauerbraten often for large Sunday family dinners. It was outstanding/excellent and one of the best food memories of my childhood. This recipe is as close to horrible as one can get. We tried to eat it and could not. I am heartbroken. I hoped that this would be a memory trip back to Baltimore from North Carolina. Instead we have frozen the remains of the meal until trash day. <br/><br/>The meal from my childhood was cooked in a pressure cooker. I cooked this in a very expensive slow-cooker and I followed the recipe 100%. The results were dismal. The meat was dry as wall board and the gravy was soooooo sour from quality vinegar that it nearly made us gag. <br/><br/>Too bad.
     
  5. My Dad was a German-Irish Baltimorean who loved sour beef and loved cooking it. So I've had his version (not with slow cooker), my version (his recipe but with slow cooker) and some Baltimore and maybe Milwaukee restaurant versions I don't remember so well. Also had it a couple of times in Bavaria in the early 80's where they used sliced beef and it was pretty different than the home-cooked Baltimore version. I think this recipe is too sour - probably too much vinegar and I've never used red wine vinegar just apple cider vinegar. Also too much onion and the carrots seemed out of place. Dumplings were bland. I wasn't fond of biting into peppercorns. I've used a teaball filled with pickling spices instead of loose spices in the marinade. So I may try tweaking this a bit or just go back to my Dad's version (which uses stew meat instead of beef round). Red cabbage on the side goes well with sour beef.
     
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Tweaks

  1. 50's and 60's authentic Baltimore sour beef and dumplings
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am a married cruise-only travel agent with two stepsons, aged 20 and 25. It took a while to get the boys used to my cooking, as they were raised on fast food and pre-packaged foods (i.e. mac-n-cheese from the blue box, frozen dinners, Chef Boyardee, McDonalds, etc.). My mother is from Spain and I lived there as well as Germany, England and Italy growing up, which influenced both my career and my cuisine!</p> 8726943"
 
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