How to Cook Sauerbraten

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 3 days

Cooking time: 4 hours 30 mins

Ingredients needed to make Sauerbraten:

• 4 lb bottom round
• ½ cup raisins
• 5 oz gingersnaps, crushed
• 12 juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasonings if necessary

Cooking instructions for Sauerbraten:

• Empty the cup of water into a large saucepan, along with splashes of both kinds of vinegar.
• Drop in the chopped carrot, onion as well as whole spices and stir them all together, along with a dash of seasonings.
• Put a lid on and cook the mixture until it starts boiling.
• Reduce it to a simmer and continue to do so for about 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let it stand until it cools down.
• Blot dry the bottom round with paper towels and drizzle a lashing of vegetable oil all over its either sides.
• Rub a tbsp of kosher salt all over it and place it in a large skillet, heated over high heat.
• Cook the meat for a couple of minutes or until it browns and flip it over to cook the other side in a similar fashion.
• Transfer the meat to a non-reactive bowl and smother it with the cooled marinade.
• Leave it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, flipping it over once every day.
• On the day of cooking, warm up your oven to 325 degrees F.
• Stir in sugar into the marinade until it dissolves and put a lid on.
• Place the on the mid-rack of the hot oven and roast the meat for about 4 hours or until it turns soft and juicy.
• Transfer the meat to a plate and keep warm.
• Pass the liquid through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the solids and return the strained liquid back to the pan.
• Cook it over moderately high heat and beat in the crushed gingersnaps until well combined.
• Continue to cook the gravy, stirring at times, until it thickens considerably, and strain it again to do away with lumps, if any.
• Fold in the raisins until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture and set aside.
• Carve out thick slices from the meat and arrange them on serving plates.
• Smother them with the prepared gravy and serve warm.

 Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on February 15, 2013 by