Rhineland Sauerbraten With Altbier Recipes

RHINELAND-STYLE SAUERBRATEN WITH RAISIN GRAVY

Steps:

• For the marinade: Bring all ingredients to a fairly rapid boil in an uncovered medium-size heavy saucepan over moderate heat and cook 5 minutes.
• For the sauerbraten: Place the beef in a large, heatproof, nonmetallic bowl. Pour in the hot marinade and cool to room temperature. Add the parsley, turn the beef in the marinade, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 days, turning the beef in the marinade every 8 hours.
• On the 5th day, remove the beef from the marinade and pat it dry. Strain the marinade, reserving both liquid and solids. Rub the beef with half the salt and pepper, then dredge with flour.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium-size heavy kettle over moderate heat, add the beef and brown well on all sides; this will take 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate, pour off and discard all casserole drippings, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the casserole and melt over moderate heat. Add the carrots, onions, and reserved marinade solids and saute, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Return the beef to the casserole, add 2 cups of the reserved marinade and the tomato paste, and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so the marinade bubbles gently, cover the kettle with a round of foil, set the lid in place, then simmer the sauerbraten 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally, until tender. Carefully replace the foil and kettle lid each time you turn the meat.
• As soon as the sauerbraten is tender, remove it to a large plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Skim as much fat as possible from the marinade, then strain it, discarding the solids. Return the marinade to the casserole, add the remaining reserved marinade along with the sugar, sherry, red wine, and raisins and boil, uncovered, over high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until reduced by half and of good gravy consistency. Taste, and if the gravy is too sour, smooth in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the jelly. Season the gravy with the remaining salt and pepper.
• To serve: Slice the sauerbraten across the grain and about 1/4-inch thick, arrange on a large heated platter, overlapping the slices slightly, and smother with the gravy. Pass any extra gravy separately.

RHINELAND SAUERBRATEN WITH ALTBIER

Steps:

• Combine carrots, onion, vinegar, water, beer, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, juniper berries and sugar, bring to a boil: let cool completely.
• Pour over top round roast in a large ceramic or glass bowl.
• Cover, marinate and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning meat over once or twice a day.
• Remove meat from marinade, pat dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat butter in large pot.
• Sear all sides of the roast.
• Once browned on all sides, add gingerbread crumbs and marinade.
• Gently simmer for 60 minutes with lid on; be sure not to let the mixture boil.
• Remove lid and continue simmering for another 30 to 45 minutes, adding water as needed to keep meat covered.
• Remove meat from marinade and set aside.
• Place marinade in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
• Season sauce to taste and stir in sour cream and raisins.
• Slice meat and serve with sauce.

RHINELAND SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Rump or round of beef should be well larded with thin matchstick strips of bacon or salt pork. Tie meat firmly with string in several places so it will be easy to turn without piercing and will hold shape. Rub well with salt on all sides and place in deep, closefitting glass or earthenware bowl.
• Combine vinegar and water and add onion, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, pickling spices and carrot. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Cool marinade thoroughly and pour over beef. Meat should be completely covered by marinade; if it is not, add equal amounts of water and vinegar until it is. Cover and place in refrigerator for 3 to 5 days; the longer it stands the more piquant the roast will be, so adjust time to suit taste. Turn meat in marinade 2 or 3 times a day, using string as handle.
• Remove meat from marinade. Strain marinade and reserve. Dry meat thoroughly with paper towels. Meat will not brown properly if it is wet, so dry as much as possible.
• Dice bacon and fry slowly in butter in 5-quart Dutch oven or casserole. When fat is hot, add meat and brown slowly. Using string as handle, turn so meat is well seared and golden brown (but not black) on all sides. This should take about 15 minutes.
• Remove browned meat and add sliced onions to hot fat. Fry, stirring from time to time, until onions are deep golden brown but not black.
• Return meat to pot, placing on top of onions. Add marinade until it reaches about halfway up sides of meat. Add fresh bay leaf and cloves (not those used in marinade). Bring marinade to boil, cover pot tightly with heavy, close-fitting lid, reduce heat and simmer very slowly but steadily 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning meat 2 or 3 times during cooking. Add more marinade to pot if needed. If you cannot lower heat enough to keep sauce at slow simmer, place an asbestos mat or flame trivet under pot. Meat is done when it can be pierced easily with long-pronged fork or skewer.
• Remove meat to heated platter and strain gravy. Skim off excess fat and return gravy to pot. Melt butter in saucepan and when hot, stir in flour and sugar. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until sugar mixture turns a deep caramel color. Be very careful doing this, as sugar burns all at once (if it become black, this part of the operation would have to be started again). Add sugar-flour to hot gravy and stir through briskly with wire whisk.
• Season with lemon juice to taste; gravy should have a mild sweet-sour flavor. Add raisins, which have been soaked and drained. Return meat to pot, cover and simmer 10 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick, add a little more marinade. Tablespoonful of tomato puree can be stirred in and heated 4 or 5 minutes before serving time, to enrich the color of the gravy. Check gravy for seasoning. Slice meat and arrange on heated platter and mask with a little gravy, serving rest in heated sauceboat. Serve with dumplings, noodles, boiled potatoes or potato pancakes.

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.

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!