
German Pot Roast (Sauerbraten)
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
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)
What You Will Need
Ingredients
- 1 (5-lb.) beef eye of round
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 1⁄2 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
- 1⁄2 cup golden raisins
- 6 gingersnaps, crumbled
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
- Kosher salt, to taste