This is a terrific version of sauerbraten, the one I will make in the future. I halved the recipe and added a couple of juniper berries to the spice sachet, but otherwise made no changes. It boasts wonderful aromas and a very fine sauce.
Sauerbraten (German Pot Roast)
It was in Cologne in 1963 that I finally solved the riddle of preparing sauerbraten. What I could not achieve until then was the golden glow that shimmers over the deep brown gravy; browning flour in the conventional einbrenne (roux) never yielded that result. But a generous chef demonstrated the secret: the addition of sugar to the einbrenne. It gilds the gravy even as its sweetness balances the sour lemon note and the zing of pickling spices. —Mimi Sheraton, author of The German Cookbook (Random House, 1965)
Enlarge Image
Credit: Todd Coleman
INGREDIENTS
1 (5-lb.) beef eye of roundKosher salt, to taste
2 cups red wine
1½ cups red wine vinegar
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 bouquet garni (1 tbsp. pickling spices, 14 whole cloves, 8 whole black peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, 3 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs parsley, wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
½ cup golden raisins
6 gingersnaps, crumbled
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Season beef liberally with salt in large bowl. Bring wine, vinegar, 1 onion, carrot, bouquet garni, and 4 cups water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan; pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate, turning once or twice a day, for 5 days. Remove beef from marinade; pour marinade through a fine strainer into a bowl, and dry beef thoroughly. (Reserve 5 cups of the marinade and the bouquet garni.) Heat 2 tbsp. butter and bacon in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook until bacon renders its fat, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate; set aside. Add beef; cook, turning, until browned all over, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate; set aside.2. Heat oven to 325°. Add remaining onions to pot; cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 18 minutes. Return beef to pot with reserved marinade and sachet; boil. Cover; bake until beef is very tender, about 2½ hours. Transfer beef to a platter; pour sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl.
3. Return pot to medium-high heat; add remaining butter. Add flour and sugar; cook, whisking constantly, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add sauce, raisins, gingersnaps, and juice; return beef to sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover pot, and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Thinly slice beef; arrange on a platter. Spoon sauce over top; sprinkle with bacon and parsley.
See all 150 classic recipes featured in our 150th issue »
Ratings & Reviews (5)
This was absolutely delicious! I stayed true to the recipe until I got to the bacon - I accidentally only cooked up two pieces of bacon, and it was enough in my opinion. One of my guests is flour intolerant, so we used cornstarch to thicken, and omitted the gingersnap cookies in his portion of gravy). Again it worked out just fine. The aromas while cooking are just amazing, and the taste was out of this world. THis is a cut of meat I avoid, normally, as it's just dry and chewy in my opinion. Because of all the layers of flavor, including the gravy, (and it does need the gravy-but with all those flavors, who would not want gravy!? LOL) it was a huge hit! All 8 of my guests loved it, and there were only a few leftovers which several asked to take home for just one more sampling... :-)
Very time consuming, but well worth it! Don't leave out any of the ingredients (I almost skipped the ginger snaps) as all of the flavors come together beautifully at the end. Very delicious and a huge crowed pleaser! Make this for company and you will impress them :)
Very time consuming, but well worth it! Don't leave out any of the ingredients (I almost skipped the ginger snaps) as all of the flavors come together beautifully at the end. Very delicious and a huge crowed pleaser! Make this for company and you will impress them :)
Very time consuming, but well worth it! Don't leave out any of the ingredients (I almost skipped the ginger snaps) as all of the flavors come together beautifully at the end. Very delicious and a huge crowed pleaser! Make this for company and you will impress them :)
Sauerbraten (German Pot Roast)
5
5
5
5
 Recipe - Saveur.com){kind=link}