Swabian Spickbraten

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg roast beef (beef skewered roast)
• 2 beef marrow bones
• 2 onions
• 1 carrot(s)
• ¼ celeriac
• ½ stalk(s) leek
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pinch(s) of powdered sugar
• 400 ml red wine, dry
• 500 ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 allspice berries
• black pepper, freshly ground
• Salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours

Spickbraten is a beef roast larded with strips of fat using a larding needle. It is particularly popular in Swabia, where it is considered a classic Sunday dish. First, peel and dice the onions, carrot, and celery. Wash the leek and slice into rings, then crush the garlic, skin and all, with the back of a knife. Then, press the marrow from the bones and heat it in a pan. Once hot, season the roast generously with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides in the fat. Set the beef roast aside on a plate and brown the onions, carrot, celery, and bones. Once this is done, add the leek and garlic. Shortly after, add the tomato paste and powdered sugar. Deglaze with one-third of the red wine, let it boil down, and repeat the process twice until all the wine is used up. Then pour in the beef stock and thoroughly break up any juices with a whisk. After the sauce has briefly boiled, reduce the heat and add the bay leaf, allspice berries, a grind of pepper, and the roast, along with any juices. Then, braise the roast with the lid closed and on low heat for approximately 2 to 2.5 hours. Turn the roast halfway through. As soon as the meat is tender, set it aside on a plate and discard the bones. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into another pot, making sure to thoroughly squeeze out the vegetables. If necessary, reduce the sauce a little further and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Finally, slice the roast and heat gently in the sauce with the lid closed. If any liquid has formed on the plate, pour it through the sieve into the sauce. The classic accompaniment to Swabian roast is homemade spaetzle. Potato dumplings, bread dumplings, or fried potatoes are also suitable. Vegetables can be added according to personal preference.