Sauerbraten with gingerbread sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg roast beef
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup of cream
• 250 g gingerbread or, even better, spiced gingerbread
• ½ tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 3 small onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 5 juniper berries
• 5 grains of allspice
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 100 g vinegar (vinegar essence)

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 3 days; Total time approx. 3 days 30 minutes

from Aachen

Place the meat in a pot and add enough water to cover the meat. Finely dice the onions. Mix with the vinegar and spices, add to the meat, cover, and let it marinate in a cool place for about 3 days. Remove the meat from the marinade and dry thoroughly. Heat the fat (and the marinade at the same time) and sear the meat well on all sides, seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour in a little of the marinade and spices and simmer over moderate heat. Do not close the lid completely, as it is easy to boil over. Turn the meat occasionally and add more marinade if necessary. After 1.5 hours, pour 1 cup of cream over the meat. After another hour, crumble the gingerbread and add it. Make sure there is enough liquid in the pot, as it is prone to burning. After another half hour, the roast is ready. Remove the meat, let it rest, strain or sieve the sauce, and season to taste. If it is too acidic, add a little more cream. In Aachen, people like to eat it with pasta and apple sauce. Personally, I prefer it with dumplings and apple-red cabbage. Enjoy your meal from Aachen!