Bergischer Sauerbraten Recipes

TRADITIONAL SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Place beef rump roast, onions, vinegar, water, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, sugar, cloves, and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning meat daily. Remove meat from marinade and pat dry with paper towels, reserving marinade.
• Season flour to taste with salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Sprinkle flour mixture over beef.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat; cook beef until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Pour reserved marinade over beef, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until beef is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove beef to a platter and slice.
• Strain solids from remaining liquid and continue cooking over medium heat. Add gingersnap cookies and simmer until gravy is thickened about 10 minutes. Serve gravy over sliced beef.

SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Season beef well with salt and pepper. Tie meat tightly every 2 inches with kitchen twine, and once from end to end, to help keep meat intact. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium heat. Brown meat evenly on all sides, including the ends. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium low, add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, and onions. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add bay leaves, tomato paste, ketchup, red-wine vinegar, and red wine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Return beef to pot, and add 2 cups water. (The liquid should come halfway up the side of the beef.) Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 1 hour, turn beef, and continue to cook until fork-tender, another 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove pot from heat. Let cool slightly, and transfer beef to a cutting board with a well. Remove twine, and let beef rest for 15 minutes. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce in the casserole. Taste the sauce, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in sour cream. Slice meat across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Place meat back into sauce. Transfer to a large serving platter; ladle over sauce. Serve immediately.

SAUERBRATEN I

Steps:

• In large saucepan over medium heat, combine cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, cloves, allspice, salt, pepper, peppercorns, bay leaf, onion, carrot and celery. Heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbles appear at edges, but do not boil.
• Poke deep holes in roast and place in non-metal bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over roast. Cover and refrigerate for five days, turning once daily.
• Remove roast from liquid; pat dry with paper towels. Remove bay leaf and peppercorns from liquid and discard. Strain liquid from vegetables, reserving both.
• Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear all sides of roast quickly, 1 to 2 minutes each side. Reduce heat to low, pour reserved vegetables and 1 cup of vinegar liquid into pan. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, adding more vinegar liquid if necessary.
• Remove roast from pan, and let cool slightly. Slice roast and return slices to liquid in pan, cover and simmer 30 minutes more. Remove slices to serving platter. Stir sour cream into heated liquid and heat through, but do not allow to boil. Pour sauce over meat and serve immediately.

SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat combine the water, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Pat the bottom round dry and rub with vegetable oil and salt on all sides. Heat a large saute pan over high heat; add the meat and brown on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• When the marinade has cooled to a point where you can stick your finger in it and not be burned, place the meat in a non-reactive vessel and pour over the marinade. Place into the refrigerator for 3 days. If the meat is not completely submerged in the liquid, turn it over once a day.
• After 3 days of marinating, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover and place on the middle rack of the oven and cook until tender, approximately 4 hours.
• Remove the meat from the vessel and keep warm. Strain the liquid to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Add the raisins if desired. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.

SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups broth, the wine, vinegar, 1 chopped onion, the crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns and cloves in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Place the beef in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning daily.
• Preheat the oven to 350. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry; season with salt. Strain the marinade, discarding the solids. Heat a large ovenproof pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add the carrots, celery and the remaining onion to the pot and cook until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and chopped thyme and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the strained marinade and the remaining 1 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Return the meat to the pot, cover and cook in the oven until tender, 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Remove the meat and transfer to a plate. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and simmer until thickened; season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the meat; serve with spaetzle, the vegetables and sauce and sour cream, if desired. Top with parsley.

BERGISCHER SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Peel and cube veggies in about 1 cm pieces.
• In a big container with a lid, mix wine, vinegars, and spices (everything up to the sea salt), adding a pinch of sea salt and pepper.
• Add meat and veggies and put in refrigerator or other cool place at least 3 days and up to 10 days.
• Take out the meat and pat down with a towel.
• Heat lard or clarified butter on high heat in a lidded pot that is large enough for the meat, veggies and sauce and sear the meat on all sides.
• Pass the marinade through a colander, keeping both.
• When the meat is seared on all sides, remove and add the veggies and spices and shortly roast.
• Add the tomato paste and apple butter, mix and allow to caramelize for 2 minutes.
• Add the marinade and stock.
• Put the meat back on, put on lid and braise it on low heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours (when the meat has reached 60°C/140°F).
• Remove meat and keep warm.
• Pass the liquid through colander and cook on medium-high, reducing sauce by half (about 20 minutes).
• Add cocoa powder and butter and salt and pepper to taste.
• Carve meat into slices and serve with sauce on top.

VENISON SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Place venison roast in a glass or earthenware bowl or baking dish with onions, bay leaves, peppercorns, berries, cloves, vinegar, boiling water, and salt.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate, turning venison twice a day for at least 3 days.
• Never pierce the meat when turning.
• Remove venison from marinade and reserve the marinade.
• Cook venison in the shortening in a heavy skillet until brown on all sides.
• Add the marinade mixture.
• Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer until venison is tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hrs.
• (Crockpot on high all day.... works) Remove venison and onions from skillet and keep warm.
• Strain and measure liquid in skillet.
• Add enough water to liquid to measure 2 1/2 cups.
• Pour liquid into skillet.
• Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir gingersnaps and sugar into liquid.
• Cover and simmer 3 minutes.
• Serve venison with onions and gravy.

RHEINISCHER SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Place the vinegar, water, bay leaves, cloves, celery, carrots, quartered onion, salt and pepper in large container (earthenware, glass, plastic, or enamel). Add meat and buttermilk and refrigerate for 4 days.
• Take meat out of marinade, and pat the meat dry with a towel. Reserve marinating liquid.
• In large saute pan, add chopped onion to the olive oil and brown meat on all sides. After browning, deglaze pan with red wine and add marinade and beef shoulder. Cook until tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove the meat from the pan, let rest for 10 to 15 minutes then slice.
• Strain marinade and set aside.
• Add the butter to the pan over low heat and when melted add the flour. Whisk until it comes together and bubbles. Slowly add the strained marinade stirring constantly until sauce has thickened. Add gravy flavoring and salt and white pepper.
• Add brown sugar, to taste, until it is sweet and sour. Stir in the raisins.
• Pour sauce over sliced sauerbraten, and serve with red cabbage, potato dumplings, Spatzle, boiled potatoes, or pasta, if desired.

RHINELAND SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Peel and dice onion, carrot and parsnip.
• In a large pot, caramelize 1 tablespoon sugar until light brown, deglaze with vinegar and let simmer for 1 minute.
• Add vegetables, parsley and spices, simmer for 2 more minutes. Add red wine, bring to a boil and simmer about 3 minutes.
• Let cool completely.
• Put chuck roast into marinade (in an airtight container or ziplock bag) and let marinate for 5-6 days in the fridge.
• Remove meat from marinade, pat dry.
• Strain marinade and reserve both liquid and vegetables and spices.
• In a pot, heat clarified butter.
• Salt and pepper chuck roast and dust with flour.
• Sear in hot fat until nicely browned from all sides.
• Remove met from pot, set aside.
• Roast vegetables and spices in the fat for 1 minute, add 1 teaspoon brown sugar, slightly caramelize and deglaze with some marinade.
• Bring to a boil, then add remaining marinade and broth.
• Add meat and crumbled gingerbread, bring to a slow boil, let boil for about 2 hours until meat is tender.
• remove meat from pot and strain sauce through a sieve, press vegetables through the sieve and let the sauce boil for about 10 minutes.
• Add raisins, simmer for 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and maybe more sugar to taste.
• Put meat back into pot, heat and serve with spaetzle or potato dumplings.
• Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL BAVARIAN BEEF SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine vinegar, 1 1/2 cups of the red wine, and the onions. Wrap the parsley stems, peppercorns, bay leaves, and cloves in a double layer of cheesecloth and tie shut. Add this to the saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Turn off the heat, and cool to room temperature.
• Prick the top round on all sides with a fork. Put it into a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade over it. Close bag and turn upside down a few times to cover meat well with marinade. Marinate, turning the bag once or twice a day, for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
• When ready to cook, bring marinated beef to room temperature, about 2 hours. Remove beef from marinade and pat dry. Strain marinade, reserving the liquid and onions; discard the cheesecloth bag.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine the flour, salt, and black pepper on a large plate, mixing well.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy, ovenproof pan with a lid, large enough to hold the roast, over moderately high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, dredge meat in flour mixture, then sear well on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Pour extra fat out of pan.
• Place 1 cup of the marinating liquid, the remaining 1/4 cup red wine, and tomatoes in the pan along with the reserved onions from the marinade. Add enough of the water so that the liquid comes about one third of the way up the side of the beef. Bring liquid to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Cover beef pan with the lid, and braise in the oven, turning sauerbraten every 30 minutes or so and spooning braising liquid over it, until meat is very tender, about 3 hours. Remove beef from pan and keep warm, covered with foil.
• Strain and degrease the braising liquid, and discard the solids. Place the braising liquid in a small saucepan, and add the remaining marinade along with the sherry and the 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Boil the liquid until it is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the additional brown sugar, if desired, and/or lemon juice to taste. Adjust seasoning.
• Carve roast against the grain into slices that are about 3/8 inch thick. Arrange slices on a serving platter, spoon sauce over them, and garnish with parsley sprigs. Top with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.