Sauerbraten — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Beef roast marinated for days in a tangy vinegar-spice mixture, then slow-braised until fork-tender in a sweet-sour gravy with gingersnap cookies. Germany's most complex and rewarding dish.

Ingredients

1.5kg beef bottom round or rump roast, in one piece
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 cups water
1 cup dry red wine
2 large onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
10 whole cloves
10 juniper berries
10 whole black peppercorns
3 tbsp vegetable oil
5 gingersnap cookies, crushed
2 tbsp brown sugar
Salt to taste

Instructions

1 Combine the red wine vinegar, water, red wine, half the sliced onions, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries, and peppercorns in a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature.
2 Place the beef roast in a deep ceramic or glass dish and pour the cooled marinade over it. The meat should be fully submerged. Cover tightly and refrigerate for three to five days, turning the meat once daily. This long marination tenderizes and flavours the beef.
3 Remove the beef from the marinade and pat very dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade, reserving the liquid and discarding the spent vegetables and spices. Season the beef with salt on all sides just before browning.
4 Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the beef on all sides for eight to ten minutes total until a deep brown crust forms. Remove the beef. Add the remaining sliced onions, carrots, and celery, cooking for five minutes until softened.
5 Return the beef to the pot and pour in three cups of the reserved strained marinade. Bring to a simmer, then cover tightly and transfer to an oven preheated to 160C. Braise for three to three and a half hours, turning once, until the meat is fork-tender.
6 Remove the tender beef and keep warm under foil. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, pressing on the vegetables. Bring to a simmer and whisk in the crushed gingersnaps and brown sugar. Cook for ten minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy, sweet-sour gravy.
7 Slice the sauerbraten against the grain into one-centimetre-thick slices. Arrange on a warm platter and ladle the sweet-sour gingersnap gravy generously over the top. Serve with potato dumplings, red cabbage, and additional gravy on the side.