Recipe courtesy of Chef Raymond Arpke and Euphemia Haye Restaurant.
This makes an excellent Christmas Day dish, and is steeped in German tradition. It takes a week to marinate the beef, so if you want to enjoy this, it takes a little planning in advance!
Sauerbraten
Ingredients:
+ One 3-4lb. beef pot roast (brisket, bottom round, shoulder, etc.)
+ 1 carrot, diced
+ 1 large onion, diced
+ 1 stalk celery, diced
+ 1 cup sugar
+ 1 ½ cup red wine vinegar
+ 2 cups red wine
+ 1 tsp. peppercorn
+ 1 tsp. thyme
+ 2 bay leaves
+ 4 cloves
+ 1 recipe Sauerbraten sauce
Sauerbraten Sauce
Ingredients
+ ½ to 2/3 cup gingersnaps, pulverized
+ 1/3 cup red currents
Preparation:
Marinate the Beef
+ Remove all of the excess fat and silver-skin from the beef.
+ Chill and whisk together the sugar, vinegar and wine until the sugar is dissolved.
+ Place the meat in a non-reactive container that will just hold all of the ingredients comfortably.
+ Add the carrots, onions, celery, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaves, cloves and wine mixture.
+ Marinate 4 to 6 days, twice a day.
Roast the Beef
+ Remove the meat from the marinade and pat it dry.
+ Salt and pepper the roast liberally.
+ In a pot or pan that will hold the roast comfortably, head some rendered beef fat or oil.
+ When the fat starts to smoke, add the roast and brown on all sides.
+ Pour off any excess fat.
+ Add back in the marinade and vegetables.
+ Bring to a boil and cover.
+ Place in a 350-degree oven until tender (about 2-3 hours, if the roast is not completely covered by the liquid, turn it over after about 1 hour).
+ When done, remove meat from the marinade and keep warm while you make the sauce (Reserve leftover marinade for the sauce.).
+ (Test for doneness: The roast is done when the meat shows no resistance when a knife is inserted.)
Sauerbraten Sauce:
+ Strain the leftover marinade from the roast.
+ Skim the fat off the top.
+ Reduce the liquid to 3-3 ½ cups.
+ Whisk in the pulverized gingersnaps, a little at a time. (Don’t add too much, the snaps will continue to thicken after it sits.)
+ Simmer very slowly for 15 to 20 minutes.
+ Add currents to the sauce.
+ When the currents have “plumped,” the sauce is ready to serve.
+ Check for salt & pepper.
Presentation:
+ Slice the roast in 1/4 inch slices and lay them out, overlapping each piece, on a platter.
+ Surround with potato dumplings.
+ Pour a little sauce over the meat slices and serve.
+ Accompanied by leftover sauce and braised red cabbage on the side.
Braised Red Cabbage:
Ingredients
+ 4-6 oz. beef fat, cut in large pieces
+ 1 large head red cabbage – peeled, cored & quartered (2.5-3 lb. or 16 cups), then cut like coleslaw
+ 1 large onion, diced
+ Salt & white pepper to taste
+ 1/3 cup cup honey
+ 1 ½ cups cider vinegar
+ 5 cups water
+ 2 cinnamon sticks or 1 tsp. powder
+ ½ tsp. nutmeg
+ ½ tsp. clove
+ ½ tsp. allspice
+ 2 sour apples, peeled, cored and grated
+ 4-6 oz. raw potato, grated
Preparation:
+ Heat the beef fat in a large pan until brown.
+ Turn down the heat to medium-low, and add the onion.
+ Cook a few minutes and add the cabbage. Stir well.
+ Salt and pepper a little, to taste. Stir well. (The salt will start breaking down the cabbage.)
+ Add the sugar, honey, vinegar, water and stir.
+ Add the spices, stir, and bring to a boil.
+ Turn heat down to a low simmer for 45 minutes>
+ Add the grated apples and cook 15 minutes longer.
+ Add the grated potato and cook another 15 minutes, or more (It is done when the potato has broken down & thickened the juices to coat the cabbage evenly.)
+ Discard the beef fat, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
+ Serve hot, or the cabbage will keep for several days in a cold refrigerator.
Potato Dumplings:
(Makes 14-16)
Ingredients:
+ 2 ½ lb. potatoes, peeled, washed, cut
+ ½ tsp. nutmeg
+ ¼ tsp. white pepper
+ 3 eggs
+ 3-3 ½ cups flour
+ 14 to 16 croutons
Cook Potatoes:
+ Bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water.
+ Cook until they show no resistance when pairing knife is inserted (20-30 minutes).
+ Drain in a colander until they are cool and dry (It may be easiest to cook the potatoes the day before, but not necessary).
Mix Potato Dough:
+ Place cooled potatoes in a large bowl and mash together with your fingers.
+ Sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper.
+ Add the eggs and mix again.
+ Add the flour and mix again into a smooth, slightly elastic dough.
+ Taste for salt and mix again, if necessary.
Form the Dumplings:
+ Form the dumplings with an ice cream scoop or by hand.
+ Place each one on a well-floured pan.
+ Place a crouton in the center of each one.
+ Flour your hand well and form perfect balls with each dumpling. The crouton should be in the center.
Cook the Dumplings:
+ Bring some salted water to a boil in a pot large enough for all of the dumplings.
+ Place the dumplings carefully in the boiling water.
+ Bring the water back to a boil and turn down to a medium simmer.
+ Cook 10-12 minutes or until done in the center.
+ Remove carefully with a skimmer or slotted spoon.
+ Serve hot as is, or use the following option.
Optional: Buttered Breadcrumbs
Ingredients:
+ 8 oz. butter, soft
+ 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
+ Salt, to taste
Preparation
+ Heat the butter in a large fry pan that will hold all of the dumplings in a single layer.
+ When the butter starts foaming, add the dumplings to the pan.
+ When they start to brown, add the breadcrumbs.
+ With a spoon, turn and coat each dumpling with the butter/crumb mixture.
+ Keep in a warm place until ready to serve.
To view a video of Chef Raymond Arpke discussing his famous Sauerbraten he did for the Observer last year, please click here.
Euphemia Haye
5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive
Longboat Key, FL 34228
941.383.3633
