Rhenish Sauerbraten with beetroot

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 kg roast beef, beef brisket or shoulder
• 1 part vinegar (lemon)
• 2 parts water
• 6 juniper berries
• 6 bay leaves
• 5 cloves
• 2 onions
• 6 tbsp clarified butter
• 1 some salt and pepper
• 4 large onions
• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp beetroot
• 1 some sauce thickener, dark

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 3 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes; Total time approx. 3 days 2 hours 45 minutes

2-3 days before preparation, place the meat in a bowl and completely cover with the vinegar/water mixture. Quarter the onions and add them to the marinade along with the juniper berries, bay leaves, and cloves. After about 1.5 days, turn the meat over, taking care not to pierce the meat. Preheat oven to 190°C. Slice the onions into rings and fry in clarified butter over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the meat from the marinade, pat dry, and season all over with salt and pepper. Briefly sear the meat in clarified butter on all sides in a roasting pan. Now spread the fried onions and fat around the meat, not on top of the meat. Strain the marinade and pour over the meat in the roasting pan, as much as you want as a sauce. It’s better to have too much than too little. People always like to eat a lot of sauce with meat. Put the lid on the roasting pan and place it in the oven. After 1 hour, remove the roasting pan, turn the meat over, add the vegetable stock, and cover only the meat with aluminum foil. This allows the stock to reduce and the meat to stay moist. Return the roasting pan to the oven without the lid and cook for another hour. Remove the meat, wrap it in aluminum foil, and return it to the switched-off oven. Strain the liquid from the roasting pan, return it to the roasting pan, and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of beetroot syrup and thicken with a sauce thickener. Season to taste with another tablespoon of beetroot syrup, if desired. Remove the meat from the oven and slice. Serve the sauce separately.