Franconian Sauerbraten

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg beef
• ¾ liter of water
• 125 ml red wine
• 125 ml vinegar
• 3 onions
• 2 carrots
• 1 small celeriac
• salt and pepper
• Sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 carnations
• 5 juniper berries
• 5 peppercorns
• some oil
• some flour
• some butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• some powdered sugar
• ½ liter beef broth

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

with sour cream and sugar roux

For the marinade, combine the water, wine, and vinegar, roughly chopped vegetables, and spices in a roasting pan. Add the beef, making sure it’s completely covered. Let it marinate in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Then remove the meat and pat dry. Strain the marinade and reserve it. Season the meat with salt, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and brown it all over in oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery from the marinade, as well as the tomato paste, and brown everything. Then add about 1/4 liter of the marinade, place the roasting pan in the oven, and braise the meat at 200°C for 2-2.5 hours. Brush the roast occasionally with sour cream and add broth if desired. When the meat is tender, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Strain the sauce and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, add the flour and sugar, and brown until quite dark, but don’t let it burn, or it will be bitter! Pour this sugar roux into the hot sauce. Be careful, it might splatter! Bring back to a boil and season to taste. Cut the meat into nice slices and serve with the sauce. We’ll serve it with Franconian dumplings with toasted breadcrumbs and red cabbage. And yes, the sour cream will curdle, and the sauce will look “semolinay”! But it’s still delicious!