Recipe: Grandma Julia’s Sauerbraten

Use Your Venison To Make This Delicious German Sauerbraten Recipe!

Fork tender meat with delicate sweet-sour and warm spice flavors — sauerbraten is my favorite German recipe. My grandmother gave me two methods for making sauerbraten: one involves marinating or brining the meat for at least two days and then oven roasting the meat, the other skips the brining and simmers the meat in the vinegar and spice-laden liquid. I used venison steaks, which are more tender than roast cuts, so I skipped the marinating and simmered the meat instead. It turned out tender and flavorful. Marinating will help tenderize tougher cuts of meat. The gravy here is the secret to upping the depth of flavor, whether roasting or simmering. Side dish ideas: Braised cabbage (recipe at bottom) and buttered egg noodles.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 (4-5 lbs.) venison roast or steaks
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot peeled and slice into thin rounds
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 cup white or red wine vinegar
• ½ cup white or red wine
• 4 cups water
• 6 whole cloves
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper or 8 whole peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 stems of fresh parsley
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 12 gingersnap cookies, finely crushed
• 2 tbsp. honey

Directions For Simmering (Without Marinating):

• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high.
• Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown on all sides.
• Add the onions, celery, carrot, garlic, white or red wine vinegar, wine, water, spices, and herbs and salt to taste.
• Turn heat down to medium low and cover.
• Simmer 1½ hours then turn meat, cover and simmer for another 1 to 1½ hour until tender.
• Remove the meat to a platter and cover to keep warm.
• Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Remove and set aside ½ cup liquid for the braised cabbage.

Directions For Marinating And Roasting:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat combine all the ingredients (except the meat), reducing the amount of water to 2 cups and upping the vinegar to 1½ cup. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Pat your roast dry and rub with vegetable oil and salt. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add the meat and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
• When the marinade has cooled from hot to warm, place the meat in a glass, stainless steel or ceramic vessel (won’t react with vinegar; don’t use cast iron, copper, or aluminum). I like to use the enameled Dutch oven I’ll be roasting it in. Pour the marinade over the meat and refrigerate for two to three days. Turn the meat over once per day if it’s not completely submerged.
• After marinating for two to three days, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. If needed, transfer the meat and marinade to oven-safe vessel with a cover. Add 1/3 cup sugar, cover, and roast on the middle rack for about 4 hours or until tender. Remove the meat and keep warm. Strain the liquid into a bowl (to remove the solids) for use in the sauce.

Directions For The Sauce:

• Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk the flour in and cook, stirring constantly, for a few minutes.
• Whisk in the cooking liquid, reduce heat to low and cook stirring, until thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix in the gingersnaps and honey to taste. You may want to strain the sauce to remove any cookie bits.
• Slice up the meat and serve with the sauce.

Braised Cabbage

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 onion halved and thinly sliced
• 3 lbs. red cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
• ½ cup reserved cooking liquid from sauerbraten
• ½ cup white or red wine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat butter in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook until softened.
• Add the cabbage, cooking liquid, and wine.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer until the cabbage is wilted, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Carnivore Magazine Issue 6.

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