Braised Beef in Wine and Vinegar
In Germany it is called Rhinelaendische Sauerbraten vom Rind
. This is still a popular dish in Germany
although it requires some extra time as the meat needs to be marinated for a couple of days in vinegar, wine and
spices. The sweet and sour taste can be found in the meat and the sauce alike.
Originally made with venison or horse meat, today's Sauerbraten is made of beef and slow cooked in wine-vinegar broth. In the Rhineland they use mustard, bay leaf and fresh juniper, vinegar and raisins while in other areas they may use cloves, bay leaf, vinegar and white wine and thicken with sour cream. I had a number of different versions and over the years made my own style of sauerbraten.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of Esser
- 1½ cups of red wine vinegar
- 10 juniper berries
- 7 whole cloves
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 lb boneless cross-rib roast or pot roast
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into large pieces
- 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 Tbsp shortening
- 1 cup hot beef broth
- 1½Tbsp corn or potato starch
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- sugar
- 2 Tbsp raisins
Instructions
2 Days before Serving
- Mix the red wine, red wine vinegar, juniper berries, whole cloves, bay leaves, and mustard seeds in a saucepan and bring to a brief boil.
- Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat and let cool down. Place in refrigerator and chill.
- Reserve 1½ cup marinade and chill.
- Add carrots and onions to the rest of the marinade.
- Put the marinade in glass bowl or zip-lock bag, (but no metallic bowl). Add the pot roast, turn to coat evenly. Place in refrigerator for two days, turn occasionally.
About two Hours before Dinner
- Remove beef from marinade, dry off with paper towels.
- Brown on all sides in hot shortening in a roasting pan or large saucepan. Pour ½ cup of the reserved sieved marinade over the beef, turn heat to simmer and cover. Cook for about 90 minutes, turning occasionally adding marinade as needed.
- Remove meat, cover with aluminum foil and keep warm. Add beef broth to pan, bring to a boil. Mix the corn starch with a little warm water to a smooth paste and add to broth, stirring vigorously. Bring to a boil to thicken and then turn down heat. Season with salt, pepper, sugar and raisins.
- Slice beef and serve with sauce. Eat with
Bratkartoffeln
or mashed potatoes and a hearty salad.