Rheinischer Sauerbraten Recipes

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.

RHEINISCHER SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Select a glass bowl just large enough to take the meat with a little space to spare, and combine in it (without the meat) the carrots, parsnip, cloves, sugar, peppercorns, garlic, thyme and wine. Then add the meat.
• In a medium-sized pan, bring the vinegar, water, and bay leaf to a boil; then simmer for 10 minutes before removing and cooling slightly.
• Pour the water-vinegar mixture over the meat, (meat should be totally immersed), and store refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, turning meat occasionally.
• Remove the beef and pat dry with paper towels; then salt and pepper all sides.
• Melt butter in a large cooking pot and brown beef in it on all sides. Pour in the marinade, including solids. Stir in tomato paste, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
• Remove meat and pour the broth through a fine sieve. Return broth to pot, add gingersnaps, apple butter, and raisins. Bring to a boil and thicken with prepared thickener (mix flour with a little water). Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (the gravy should have a savory sweet-sour taste).
• Slice meat, pour a little gravy over it, and serve the remaining gravy in a sauce-boat.

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.

RHINELAND SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Rump or round of beef should be well larded with thin matchstick strips of bacon or salt pork. Tie meat firmly with string in several places so it will be easy to turn without piercing and will hold shape. Rub well with salt on all sides and place in deep, closefitting glass or earthenware bowl.
• Combine vinegar and water and add onion, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, pickling spices and carrot. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Cool marinade thoroughly and pour over beef. Meat should be completely covered by marinade; if it is not, add equal amounts of water and vinegar until it is. Cover and place in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days; the longer it stands the more piquant the roast will be, so adjust time to suit taste. Turn meat in marinade 2 or 3 times a day, using string as handle.
• Remove meat from marinade. Strain marinade and reserve. Dry meat thoroughly with paper towels. Meat will not brown properly if it is wet, so dry as much as possible.
• Dice bacon and fry slowly in butter in 5-quart Dutch oven or casserole. When fat is hot, add meat and brown slowly. Using string as handle, turn so meat is well seared and golden brown (but not black) on all sides. This should take about 15 minutes.
• Remove browned meat and add sliced onions to hot fat. Fry, stirring from time to time, until onions are deep golden brown but not black.
• Return meat to pot, placing on top of onions. Add marinade until it reaches about halfway up sides of meat. Add fresh bay leaf and cloves (not those used in marinade). Bring marinade to boil, cover pot tightly with heavy, close-fitting lid, reduce heat and simmer very slowly but steadily 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning meat 2 or 3 times during cooking. Add more marinade to pot if needed. If you cannot lower heat enough to keep sauce at slow simmer, place an asbestos mat or flame trivet under pot. Meat is done when it can be pierced easily with long-pronged fork or skewer.
• Remove meat to heated platter and strain gravy. Skim off excess fat and return gravy to pot. Melt butter in saucepan and when hot, stir in flour and sugar. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until sugar mixture turns a deep caramel color. Be very careful doing this, as sugar burns all at once (if it become black, this part of the operation would have to be started again). Add sugar-flour to hot gravy and stir through briskly with wire whisk.
• Season with lemon juice to taste; gravy should have a mild sweet-sour flavor. Add raisins, which have been soaked and drained. Return meat to pot, cover and simmer 10 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick, add a little more marinade. Tablespoonful of tomato puree can be stirred in and heated 4 or 5 minutes before serving time, to enrich the color of the gravy. Check gravy for seasoning. Slice meat and arrange on heated platter and mask with a little gravy, serving rest in heated sauceboat. Serve with dumplings, noodles, boiled potatoes or potato pancakes.