Sour Beef Dumplings Recipes

BALTIMORE-STYLE SOUR BEEF AND DUMPLINGS (SAUERBRATEN)

Steps:

• WARNING: This part has to be done the day before you want to serve. Stir together all of the marinade ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Place the roast in a nonreactive container (or large ziplock bag) and marinate overnight. The day before is also a good time to make the gingersnaps if, like me, you are using homemade.
• The next day: Remove the meat and pour the marinade in the slow cooker. In a large skillet, quickly brown all sides of the meat in the canola oil. Add the meat into the slow cooker and turn on low for 6 hours.
• During the last hour or so of cooking time: Start to make the dumplings. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. In a large bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes and salt and the egg. Stir in the baking powder and add the flour in 1/2 cup increments until the it resembles a dough and the mixture holds its shape when molded (roughly 3 cups). Form into 2 to 4 inch balls. They should be able to hold their shape but not be too floury. Drop them into the water. They should sink, then rise to the surface when cooked through. Set aside.
• During the last 1/2 hour of cooking time: Skim off any visible fat that may have risen to the top then add the gingersnaps and turn the heat to high.
• After the time is up, shred the meat a bit with a fork or break it into pieces. Serve hot, with dumplings on the side.

SOUR BEEF AND DUMPLINGS (SAUERBRATEN)

Steps:

• First, make the marinade: In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the vinegars, 3 cups of water, onion, carrot, 1 tablespoon of salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries and mustard seeds. Cover and bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set it aside and let it cool. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan. Rub the beef roast with 1 teaspoon of salt and brown it on all sides. Once the marinade has cooled to the touch, put the meat into a large, nonreactive vessel and cover with the marinade. (I use a ceramic-coated Dutch oven.) Place it in the refrigerator for three to five days. If the meat isn't covered entirely by the marinade, be sure to turn it once a day. (In my Dutch oven, I sometimes wedge an onion between the lid and the meat to hold the meat under the liquid.) After marinating, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover and cook in the oven until tender--approximately four hours. While it's cooking, you'll want to start making the dumplings (below). When the meat is done, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Move the Dutch oven to the stovetop, whisk the crumbled gingersnaps into the marinade, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is smooth and well blended. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. TIP: To crumble the gingersnaps, I usually put them into a freezer bag, squeeze the air out and give it to the nearest child to pound on until there aren't any more lumps. Slice the beef and serve in a large bowl or platter covered in the sauce. Serve the dumplings on the side. Generally each diner puts some beef and a couple of dumplings on their plate, and then spoons the sauce over all. To make the dumplings: Heat the water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a heavy simmer in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quartered potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 or 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes very well, and mash them or put them through a potato ricer. (A ricer works best.) Spread the riced potatoes on a platter or cookie sheet and set them aside to dry and cool. After the potatoes have cooled, place them in a mixing bowl and add the eggs, grated fresh potatoes, farina, flour and nutmeg. Mix well, and roll into golf-ball or tennis-ball sized dumplings. (Mine tend to be tennis balls or racquetballs. I like big dumplings and I cannot lie.) Roll the dumplings in a little bit of flour to help them dry on the outside and not stick. Bring a large pot of water to boil and then reduce to a heavy simmer. Cook the balls for 15 to 20 minutes. They should all be floating when they are done. Drain and serve on a platter.

BEEF AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Combine water and beef broth granuals and bring to a boil. Add dry dumplings and brink to a boil. Cook just enough to tender. Noodles will finish cooking after added to meat. Drain pasta and save broth.
• I use recipe #rz.50337 for my roast.
• Slice leftover roast into strips or chunks.
• Saute meat in wok or large pan with butter using leftover onion slices and spice mixture that were on top of roast.
• Combine mushroom soup,dry onion soup, mushrooms,half & half,pepper and 1 cup of broth from dumplings with meat. Cook on top of stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• Add cooked dumplings and let simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes.
• You may add sour cream if you prefer but my family doesn't care for sour cream so I don't use it. I usually don't have to add salt because the roast and broth have enough.

BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Dredge beef cubes in flour and remove, shaking off excess flour.
• Over medium high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of oil in 6-quart heavy bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven until slightly brown and frothy. Place half of the beef in the hot fat making sure that meat pieces do not touch each other. Sear two minutes per side. Remove from pan and heat another tablespoon of butter and oil then cook the second half of the meat. Remove meat from pan when done and set aside. Total time to sear all the meat is 15 minutes.
• Turn heat to medium and add the remaining butter and olive oil to the pan. Add in chopped onions and cook three minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for one more minute. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
• Add in red wine to deglaze pan, scraping up any brown bits from bottom.
• Add browned beef cubes, stock, water, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Bring to a boil then turn heat down to a simmer and cover pot with lid slightly ajar. Simmer for 2 ½ hours or until beef is tender, adjusting water as needed. If all of the liquid does not fit, set some aside and add later as the liquid in the pan evaporates. Either way, check at the two hour mark and if needed, add more liquid. We used exactly four quarts of liquid (Three quarts beef stock and one quart of water).
• After 2 1/2 hours, add in carrots, potatoes, green beans, pearl onions and parsley and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• While vegetables are cooking, prepare dumpling batter as follows: Sift flour, baking powder and sugar together. Add salt and thyme into the bowl and then cut in butter with a fork until pieces are rice size. Add milk and stir with spoon until mixed.
• Add green peas to stew, adjust seasoning and turn heat to low. Remove and discard bay leaves.
• Drop heaping tablespoons of dumpling batter into stew until all batter is used. (Do NOT just pour the dumpling batter in all at once.) Cover and cook 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Check and if they are not puffed up enough, cook for another minute or two covered. Ours took exactly 15 minutes .
• Serve bowls of stew with dumplings on top.

SOUR BEEF & DUMPLINGS RECIPE

Steps:

• Sour Beef: 1) in a large, non-reactive bowl, combine eye roast, onions, sugar, pepper, pickling spices. Add enough apple cider vinegar to cover meat. Cover and soak in the refrigerator overnight. 2) In a large pot, dump the entire contents of the bowl. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 2 hrs. Remove meat and keep warm. 3) Strain pot liquid. Dissolve gingersnaps in some of the hot liquid from pot. Stir to make a loose paste. Slowly add the gingersnap slurry back to pot. Stir, cover and simmer for about 15 mins. Gravy may need to be strained again before serving. Dumplings: 1) Stir ingredients until soft dough forms. 2) Drop by spoonfuls into boiling gravy (or boiling water or broth); reduce heat. 3) Cook uncovered 10 mins. Cover and cook an additional 10 mins.