SAUERBRATEN

Five pound pot roast of beef (top round recommended)

MARINADE:

2 cups white vinegar                                           8 peppercorns

2 cups dry white wine                                         6 whole cloves

2 cups water                                                      3 bay leaves, halved

2 large onions, sliced                                         2 teaspoons salt

6 carrots, scraped and sliced                              1 teaspoon mustard seed

4 shallots, peeled                                               Few sprigs fresh curly parsley

SAUERBRATEN:

5 tablespoons flour                                             1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt                                                  2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup cooking oil                                               2 tablespoons sugar

1 large onion, sliced                                           1/3 cup gingersnap crumbs

6 whole cloves

PREPARATION:

MARINADE:

1.       Place the meat in a four-quart bowl or pot with a cover, which will fit in your refrigerator.

2.       This is an unusual marinade because it is cooked.  Put all the ingredients for it in a large saucepan; bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for five minutes.

3.       Cool, then pour the marinade over the meat, cover the bowl well or pot (use Saran Wrap if pot has no cover, and refrigerate for four days.  Turn the meat once a day, to be sure the entire piece gets well marinated.

4.       Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it as dry as possible with paper towels.

5.       Strain the marinade, pressing all the liquid from the vegetables.  Reserve the juice; discard the vegetables.

SAUERBRATEN:

1.       Mix two tablespoons of the flour with the salt and coat all sides of the meat with it.

2.       Heat the oil in a large casserole or Dutch oven.  Add the meat and brown it well on all sides, over medium heat, which will take about 20 minutes.  Remove meat and pour off all fat from the pot.

3.       Return meat to the pot and add the onion slices, cloves, bay leaf and three cups of the marinade (OK to use 4 to 4-1/2 cups marinade; for roux use 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons sugar and 4-1/2 tablespoons flour).

4.       Cover and simmer until meat is almost tender, about three hours.

5.       Remove meat and strain the marinade.  Return the meat and strained marinade to pot.

6.       In a small skillet, melt the butter, stir in  the sugar and the remaining three tablespoons of flour, and cook, stirring, over low heat until a rich brown color.  Stir this sugar-flour mixture into the marinade.  Cover and continue cooking until meat is very tender, about 1 hour more.

7.       To serve:  remove meat to a heated platter.  Stir gingersnap crumbs into gravy and, using a whisk, cook and stir two or three minutes until gravy is smooth and thickened.  Taste the gravy, add more salt and pepper if necessary.

8.       Slice the meat, not too thin, arrange overlapping slices on a hot platter, and coat with some gravy.  Pass the remaining gravy in a sauceboat.

9.       If you prefer you may carve the beef at the table and serve gravy with each portion.

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