About the Recipe
This is my favorite meal that my father would make when he was happy. The entire process would take about a WEEK for this German recipe- Sauerbraten. We were in Tokyo and a few of the ingredients were difficult to find- i.e. the cut of beef( very few cows in Japan) back in the day. So my father, who didn’t speak Japanese, would send me out to the local market- there were no big supermarkets back then- all family owed neighborhood shops on a very tiny and narrow street - the butcher- mainly pork and chicken, the seafood market-the vegetable market. I knew everyone, they knew me, so that going shopping for Dad was a warm “family” experience as a child. The spices used were also difficult to find, so Dad would send away for them from America. So this was a big deal, an occasion. When all of the ingredients had finally arrived, I loved watching Dad go to work. My Dad ALWAYS wanted /needed my opinion on the taste, so I felt quite important! Here is his recipe- I still make this on cold winter days.
Ingredients
For the Roast:
1.25 kg beef rump or chuck roast
For the Marinade:
500ml red wine
3 bay leaves
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons mustard seed
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp juniper berries
1 tsp allspice berries
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
To Cook:
1/2 head celeriac, celery root, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 leek, diced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
250ml beef broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 ginger cookies, crushed
Sea salt and black pepper
Preparation
Marinade the beef:
Trim the beef of any tough silver skin, then place in a large container. It needs a lid, so a large Dutch oven is ideal. In a large bowl, stir together all marinade ingredients, then pour over the meat. It should be mostly submerged, so top with a little extra wine if necessary.
Place in the bottom of the fridge and marinate for 5 to 7 days, turning daily.
Prepare to cook:
When you are ready to cook, remove the beef from the marinade and Pat it dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade through a sieve and keep it to the side, you’ll need it for the sauce. Heat the oven to 350 F.
Brown the beef:Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown meat well on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Sauté vegetables: Add a bit more oil to the pan and add celeriac and carrots. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the leek and cook for 3 minutes.
Add liquid: Pour in the beef broth, tomato paste and 1 cup marinade to the pan and scrape all the browned on bits at bottom of the pan.
Cook beef: Remove from the heat and carefully lift beef into the pan. Strain cooking liquid into a saucepan and stir crushed cookies and simmer until dissolved.
Serve: Slice sauerbraten and serve with plenty of sauce, red cabbage and potato dumplings.