We’re going German today! Although the German food might not have the same popularity as the Mexican or Italian one, it does enrich the international cuisine with a few delicacies: the soft brezel, the succulent schnitzel, the yummy apfelstrudel, the consistent wurst or the unforgettable Sauerbraten.
And speaking of Sauerbraten I know all those who love meat will be all ears to hear more about this dish. And I don’t want to let you down, so keep on reading to discover the story of the wonder Sauerbraten and its delicious recipe.
What You Didn’t Know About Sauerbraten
1. It is made out of beef meat that has been previously marinated in a combination of beer, vinegar and spices (onions, peppercorns, cloves, etc).
2. Some people use the crumbs from Gingersnap cookies in order to thicken the juices that gathers up in the pan.
3. Charlemagne is considered by many the inventor of this recipe. He died in 814 A.D. and apparently he was the only one who could think of what to do with the leftovers of roasted meat.
4. Traditionally, Sauerbraten is served with braised cabbage orsauerkraut or dumplings (knoedel), and it is marinated in the stomach with a bit (more) of pilsner beer.
5. Initially, cooks used horse meat to prepare this recipe. Although now lots of people are reticent to eating horse meat, in former times this was a very popular choice.
And now as always, since you’ve been so nice you can find one of the original recipes for Sauerbraten. Enjoy!
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How to prepare it?
1. Start by preparing the marinade by mixing all the ingredients except the roast. Bring everything to a boil over high heat and then let it cool to room temperature.
2. Put the beef in a ceramic pot and soak it in marinade. If you don’t have enough add more wine and then cover it with plastic wrap and let it in the refrigerator for a couple of days (3-4). Don’t forget to turn the meat from one part to the other at least twice a day.
3. Take the meat out of the marinade and pat it with a few paper towels. Strain the marinade and clean it of all spices and onions.
4. Separately, heat the butter until the bubbling stops. Toss the meat there and let it brown on both sides, turning it from time to time. Take it out and let it rest aside.
5. Now it’s time to start roasting. Put the celery, onions and carrots in the pan you used for the meat. Cook over moderate fire until it gets soft and a bit brownish. Add the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Then pour 2 cups or marinade and 1/2 cup of water and let everything boil. Place the meat back to the pot and cover it letting it simmer over low heat for about 2 hours. If you don;t like this version you can bake it at 350 degrees for 2 hours. While you prepare the sauce place the roast on a platter and cover it in foil.
6. Pour the remaining liquid into a larger cup and skim the fat from above. If you need more liquid then use more marinade or a bit of wine. Combine the resulted liquid and the gingersnap crumbs in a saucepan. Cook everything under moderate heat and stir for about 10 minutes. The cookie crumbs have to dissolve and thicken the sauce.
7. Strain the sauce using a sieve and return it to the pan, seasoning and letting it simmer over low heat.
8. Slice the roast, put some sauce over the slices and serve the rest of the sauce in a separate dish.
Guten appetit!
Dana