Franconian Sauerbraten

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 ½ kg roast beef (Tafelspitz)
• 1 liter of water
• 3 dl apple cider vinegar
• 30 g sugar
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander, whole
• 1 tsp allspice, whole
• 1 tbsp juniper berries
• 3 cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 piece(s) ginger root, 2 cm
• 2 tsp salt
• some porcini mushrooms, dried
• 3 onions, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp oil, neutral
• 1 tbsp flour butter
• ½ sauce cake
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• e.g. cream

Instructions

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

Bring water, vinegar, coarsely chopped onion, spices, sugar, salt, pepper, and mushrooms to a boil briefly, then let cool. Add the meat to this broth. It must be completely covered! Marinate for three days, turning daily. Remove the meat, dry it, and season with salt and ground pepper. Pour the broth through a sieve and set aside. Heat the butter and oil in a roasting pan and brown the contents of the sieve until browned. Add the meat and sear on all sides. Then pour in 3/4 meat broth and 1/4 marinade, stirring the latter first. The meat should still be 2/3 above the liquid, but add less, and top up a little more during the roasting process. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in an oven preheated to 170°C. After three hours, remove the meat, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil, and let it rest. Turn it over every 5 minutes to ensure the juices are evenly distributed throughout the roast. Carefully loosen any roasting residue with a pastry brush and then pour the sauce through a sieve. Strain the onions remaining in the sieve. Now take a little of the sauce, dissolve the gingerbread in it, stir it back in, and bring to a boil briefly. Add the crème fraîche. If the sauce is too acidic, you can use a little more heavy cream instead of the crème fraîche to make it milder. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and, if the acidity is too low, add a little of the stock. If the sauce is still too thin, gradually add a little more flour and butter with a whisk and bring to a boil repeatedly until the desired consistency is reached. Slice the meat, arrange on a warm platter, and baste with a little sauce to prevent it from drying out. Serve with Franconian potato dumplings, cranberries, and salad as side dishes.