Sauerbraten, Marinated Beef Roast

If asked if they know the word "Sauerbraten," it is likely most people would answer "yes," but how many of them really know what Sauerbraten is, is another question. Hopefully I can remedy this, to some limited extent. Sauerbraten is not a dish you decide to have an hour before dinner, unless you plan to visit your favorite German restaurant. No, it takes days to prepare, but don't be intimidated by the time, because much of that time will be for marinating the meat, since Sauerbraten is marinated beef, usually a tougher cut, like rump roast, although other kinds of meat can be used. There are some regional variations in recipes among Germans, including in the Rhineland, where raisins are added. I have had this "Rhineland Sauerbraten," and liked it, but I prefer my own. Hey, what can I say? The word "Sauerbraten" means "sour, or pickled, roast." For the history of the word "brat(en)," I covered it in this article: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2010/10/german-question-part-forty-five.html

Ingredients (for 3 to 4 lb. beef rump roast or boneless top round):

For the Marinade:

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup dry red wine
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 lg. carrot, chopped
2 bay leaves
5 whole cloves
10 peppercorns

For Cooking the Meat"

2 to 3 tablespoons of oil
1/2 cup finely crushed gingersnaps + 2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup raisins (optional, for Rhineland-style)

In a non reactive pan, heat the marinade ingredients to boiling, reduce heat and simmer about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature. Put the meat into a large glass dish, like a casserole dish, with lid.* Pour the cooled marinade over the meat, adding a little water (or more red wine), if needed, to completely cover the roast. Put on the lid or cover the dish, place in the refrigerator for 3 days, turning the roast 3 or 4 times a day. The meat will begin to turn brownish, grayish in color, but that's fine, as the acidic marinade is tenderizing (actually 'cooking') the meat. After three days, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large non reactive pan you will be using to cook the meat (enamel coated is good). Brown the meat on all sides. Add 2 to 3 cups of the marinade. Cover and bring to a simmer, cook for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until tender. Remove the meat and strain the liquid. Melt the butter and mix in the crushed gingersnaps and flour to form a roux. Gradually add the roux to the liquid, stirring or whisking constantly until thickened, allowing a minute or two to cook the raw taste from the flour. [The gingersnaps (and raisins, if using) will add a touch of sweetness to offset a bit of the acidic taste of the vinegar.]

Regional accompaniments to sauerbraten are common. In the Rhineland, potato pancakes** are commonly served, while in the southwest, Spätzle (the small German-style dumplings/noodles) are served, but in many places potato dumplings, Kartoffelklöße, are the choice.

* Just as when you heat the marinade, you don't want to use any kind of reactive dish, as the acid content will work on the metal; that's why a large glassware casserole dish is perfect, plus it should already have a lid to cover the dish during its time in the refrigerator.

** Kartoffelpuffer or Kartoffelpfannkuchen are commonly used as the name for potato pancakes in German, but there are many regional dialect names: Reibekuchen," "Döbbekuchen," "Döbbekooche," "Dibbekoche," "Dippedotz," "Reiberdatschi," "Rievekooche," "Grumbeer Pannekuche," and believe me, there are even more!

I'm a mashed potatoes guy, so that's what I had with my Sauerbraten; and of course, lots of the gravy.

WORD HISTORY:
Cheese-This word for the soft to firm milk product "seems" to go back to Indo European "khwat/khwas," meaning, "ferment, foam up, bubble up." This gave Latin "caseus," which meant "cheese." The term was borrowed long ago by West Germanic as "kasijaz."^ This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "cese/cyse," depending upon dialect, which then became "chese," before the modern version. The other West Germanic languages have: German "Käse," Low German Saxon "Kääs," Dutch "kaas," West Frisian "tsiis." The North Germanic languages use another word for "cheese," and apparently they were totally unaffected by the West Germanic borrowing.

^ Old Germanic developed into three branches, or large broad dialects: East Germanic, North Germanic and West Germanic. English is from West Germanic, but it later was influenced a good deal by North Germanic, through Old Norse.