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Place the meat in a glass bowl or stainless steel pot (avoid plastic, aluminum and cast iron) and pour the marinade over the meat.
#Best cut of beef to use for sauerbraten plus#
2 tablespoons tallow, lard, butter or coconut oil (15 ml)īring 2 cups (475 ml) of water plus the vinegar, onion, carrot, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, peppercorns and cloves to a boil.
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2 cups red wine vinegar (or 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup red wine) (475 ml).4 pounds of boneless beef roast, bottom round or chuck (1.8 kg).Time in the Kitchen: 1 hour of hands-on cooking, plus 72 hours to marinate and 3 hours of roasting Sauerbraten is great the first day but even better as leftovers. This less-sweet but still tasty version throws in a few dates for sweetness, leaving the option of additional sugar (or some sour cream) up to you.Īs tender as it is, this meat holds together in slices, especially after the cooked roast has been refrigerated overnight. Traditionally, sugar or even gingersnap cookies are whisked in at the end, turning the sauerbraten braising liquid into a sweet and sour sauce. Again, sauerbraten takes this to an extreme, using vinegar as the sole braising liquid. For smaller cuts, the meat doesn’t need more than a few hours in a vinegar marinade.Ī tablespoon or two of vinegar can also be added to any braising liquid (or soup broth) during the cooking process to make meat extra-tender. Be warned: If you marinate a steak that long it’ll turn to mush. It takes this long for vinegar to tenderize a large roast all the way through and give the meat sauerbraten’s signature vinegary flavor. Sauerbraten takes this to an extreme, soaking the meat for 3 to 5 days. The vinegar isn’t just used for a sour zing it also tenderizes the meat.īottom round is commonly used for sauerbraten, but any less-expensive cut of meat, including wild game like venison, can be tenderized by a soak in vinegar. Top with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.Sauerbraten is “sour roast,” a traditional German recipe made by marinating then braising a big hunk of meat in vinegar and spices. Arrange slices on a serving platter, spoon sauce over them, and garnish with parsley sprigs. Carve roast against the grain into slices that are about 3/8 inch thick.Add the additional brown sugar, if desired, and/or lemon juice to taste.
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Boil the liquid until it is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Place the braising liquid in a small saucepan, and add the remaining marinade along with the sherry and the 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
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Remove beef from pan and keep warm, covered with foil. 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. Bring liquid to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add enough of the water so that the liquid comes about one third of the way up the side of the beef.
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