SAUERBRATEN... PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS

This recipe for Sauerbraten has been in my family for at least 40 years but I would think it's closer to 50 years. I know that my Grandmother used to make this a lot and passed the recipe on to my mother who then passed it on to me. I remember writing the recipe onto recipe cards when I was first married and still use the original ones that I wrote on that day! I taped them onto a piece of looseleaf paper at the time so the 4 cards wouldn't get separated.
I started the Sauerbraten on Sunday night. I needs to marinade for about 5 days, turning over twice a day. On the day of the cooking, I mince up the veggies in the food processor to cut down on prep time. I also crush the ginger snaps the same way. When I first started making this, it would take a long time because I didn't have all the modern conviences. Now it all gets put together fairly fast. When it cooks, the smell in the house is just heavenly!

I serve it with red cabbage and potato pancakes. I cheat and use a good jared red cabbage and manishevitz (sp?) potato pancake mix in a box. They taste good and they're simple. I'm not a fan of dumplings so I don't bother with them.

I have added some of my changes to this recipe to make it more up to date. The ingredients are still the same, just the process is a little different because of our modern conviences.

SAUERBRATEN

In a 3 qt saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of a hearty red wine, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 2 cups cold water, 1-2 sliced onions, 2 bay leaves and 1 ts. pickling spices. Bring marinade to a boil, then remove from heat and cool.

Place 4 lbs of beef in a deep crock or plastic bowl. Pour marinade over meat. The marinade should come up 1/2 way up the side of the meat. If not, add more wine. Turn meat to moisten all sides. Cover tightly either with a cover or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4-5 days, turning at least twice a day.

COOKING DAY:

Remove meat - pat it dry. Strain marinade, reserving the liquid. Discard the spices and onions.

In a heavy 5 qt. flameproof casserole, melt lard until it begins to splatter. Add meat. Brown on all sides.

Take meat out and pour off all but 2 TBSP of the fat from the pan. Add 3/4 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots and 1/2 cup finely chopped celery. (I throw all of those in the food processor to chop finely). Cook for 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are soft and browned a little. Sprinkle 2 TBSP flour over vegetables and cook 2-3 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups of the marinade and 1/2 cup water. (I usually just use all of the marinade because we like a lot of sauce in the end). Bring to a boil over high heat. Return meat to the casserole. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours ( this can also go in a 350 oven, covered, for about 2 hours) or until meat shows no resistance when pierced with a sharp knife. Transfer meat to a platter and cover to keep warm.

MAKE SAUCE:

Pour liquid left in the casserole in a measuring cup. You need 2 1/2 cups of liquid for the sauce. Combine liquid and 1/2 cup of finely crushed gingersnap cookies in a small saucepan.

boy, this is an ugly picture!

Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Carve meat into 1/4" slices and place on a platter. Pour sauce over the meat.

Serve with potato pancakes, red cabbage and whatever else strikes your fancy!

Here's a simpler way to use the recipe... no pictures. Easier to copy .

SAUERBRATEN

In a 3 qt saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of a hearty red wine, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 2 cups cold water, 1-2 sliced onions, 2 bay leaves and 1 ts. pickling spices. Bring marinade to a boil, then remove from heat and cool.
Place 4 lbs of beef in a deep crock or plastic bowl. Pour marinade over meat. The marinade should come up 1/2 way up the side of the meat. If not, add more wine. Turn meat to moisten all sides. Cover tightly either with a cover or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4-5 days, turning at least twice a day.
COOKING DAY:
Remove meat - pat it dry. Strain marinade, reserving the liquid. Discard the spices and onions.

In a heavy 5 qt. flameproof casserole, melt lard until it begins to splatter. Add meat. Brown on all sides. Take meat out and pour off all but 2 TBSP of the fat from the pan. Add 3/4 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots and 1/2 cup finely chopped celery. (I throw all of those in the food processor to chop finely). Cook for 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are soft and browned a little. Sprinkle 2 TBSP flour over vegetables and cook 2-3 minutes.

Pour in 2 cups of the marinade and 1/2 cup water. (I usually just use all of the marinade because we like a lot of sauce in the end). Bring to a boil over high heat. Return meat to the casserole. Cover tightly and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours ( this can also go in a 350 oven, covered, for about 2 hours) or until meat shows no resistance when pierced with a sharp knife. Transfer meat to a platter and cover to keep warm.
MAKE SAUCE:
Pour liquid left in the casserole in a measuring cup. You need 2 1/2 cups of liquid for the sauce. Combine liquid and 1/2 cup of finely crushed gingersnap cookies in a small saucepan.

Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Carve meat into 1/4" slices and place on a platter. Pour sauce over the meat.
Serve with potato pancakes, red cabbage and whatever else strikes your fancy!