Sauerbraten (German Roast)

Serves: 8   



Prep Time:  15 minutes + 3-4 days in the
                   refrigerator

Cook Time: 4 hours in the oven or
                   6-8 hours in crock pot

After finding a red cabbage/apple mix at Aldi (a grocery store), I decided to make an entire German meal. I will show you what all I made over the next couple of days.


First up is the Sauerbraten (thanks Alton Brown).

What it Takes:

2 c water
1 c cider vinegar
1 c red wine vinegar
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (I used 1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns)
2 bay leaves
6 cloves (I used 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves)
12 juniper berries
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 3-5lb roast (I used chuck)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 c sugar
18-20 gingersnaps, crushed

How to do it:

In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the water, vinegars, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries and mustard seed. Cover and boil. Lower heat to a simmer for 10 minutes. Cool until able to dip finger in and not burn the finger.

Pat the roast dry and rub with oil. Season roast with some salt and pepper. Sear meat on all sides in a skillet over high heat (2-3 minutes per side).

Place roast in a glass bowl and pour over the cooled marinade. Cover and place in fridge for 3-4 days. If roast is not fully submerged in the marinade, turn roast once per day.

After 3-4 days, mix 1/3 c sugar in with the marinade and roast. Then, either place roast and marinade in a dutch oven and bake at 325 for 4 hours or place in a crock pot set to low for 6-8 hours.

After roast has cooked, remove roast and keep it warm by placing foil over the roast on a cutting board. Strain the liquid into a sauce pan and boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in the crushed gingersnaps and cook until thickened. If your gravy seems lumpy, strain the gravy through a sieve to remove the lumps.

I suggest you go get a roast tonight and start the marinading process. This is hands down, one of the best roasts I have had. The flavor is AMAZING and the gravy has the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I will post the potatoes tomorrow.