Sauerbraten
Roasts are the ultimate comfort dinners when the weather gets cold. They don’t require much prep and often result in leftovers that can be enjoyed throughout the week. One of my favorite ways to prepare roast beef is Sauerbraten – a German recipe for marinated meat. Served with traditional side dishes such as potatoes and braised red cabbage, nothing brings more warmth to a winter kitchen!
The meat is marinated in a mixture of red wine, apple cider vinegar and spices then cooked for 8 hours in a slow-cooker. It becomes so tender that it can be easily cut with a fork. Because it’s roasted very slowly, you can use an inexpensive cut of meat such as a rump roast or bottom round. Recently, I prepared Sauerbraten with a 4½ pound rolled chuck roast from Whippoorwill Farm in Salisbury. Delicious!
Aside from the ingredients that are specific to the German marinade, Sauerbraten’s characteristic flavor comes from finishing the gravy by straining out the solids then thickening it with crumbled ginger snap cookies. Although the best result comes from marinating the beef for at least a couple of days, I have to admit that I’ve made Sauerbraten in my slow cooker without marinating beforehand. The flavors still infused the roast very nicely while cooking.
SAUERBRATEN
1 cup red wine
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
12 juniper berries
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups water
4 to 5 pound chuck roast (or rump roast, or bottom round)
1 carrot, chopped
½ large red onion, cut into wedges
10 gingersnap cookies – crushed into a fine powder
In a small saucepan, prepare the marinade. Add the red wine, vinegar, salt, peppercorns, juniper berries, cloves, bay leaves, mustard seeds and sugar. Simmer until the salt and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add 2 cups of cold water. When the marinade has cooled, place the roast into a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of days, turning periodically to make sure the roast gets evenly marinated.
When ready to cook, place the meat and marinade into your slow cooker. Add the carrot and onion and cook on low heat for 8 hours. If you don’t have a slow cooker don’t fret – you can prepare the Sauerbraten in a covered pot in the oven by roasting it at 325 degrees for about 4 hours until tender.
Transfer the roast to a platter and cover with foil to keep it warm while finishing the gravy.
Using a colander, strain the gravy into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. With the long slow cooking the carrot and onion will have gotten very soft. You can use a wooden spoon to push some of the soft vegetables through the colander. Although you don’t want large pieces of juniper or peppercorns in your gravy, it’s fine if the mustard seeds slip through.
Discard the solids and return the gravy to your slow cooker. Stir in the crushed gingersnaps and return the roast to the slow cooker. Turn the meat so all sides get coated with the sauce. Briefly cook on high to reheat the gravy and meat. Serve the Sauerbraten immediately, offering extra gravy on the side.
Aside from traditional side dishes such as potatoes (mashed potatoes, potato dumplings, potato pancakes), you can serve Sauerbraten with easy-to-prepare dishes such as buttered noodles tossed with poppy seeds, steamed carrots with caraway seeds or red cabbage braised with water and red wine vinegar.