Vogtland Sauerbraten

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ½ kg beef (leg or shoulder)
• ¼ liter vinegar (preferably balsamic vinegar)
• ¼ liter red wine
• ½ liter of water
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 handful of spice(s) (peppercorns, clove(s), allspice, bay leaf, juniper berries)
• some salt
• some sugar
• 1 bunch of root vegetables
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• some tomato paste
• 1 bottle of malt beer or caramel malt
• ½ liter broth
• 1 handful of spice(s) (clove(s), cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, paprika, thyme, pepper)
• 1 sauce gingerbread, approx. 60 g
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest period approx. 2 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 2 days 4 hours

For the stock, heat about 1/4 liter vinegar (preferably balsamic), about 1/4 liter red wine, about 1/2 liter water, a quartered onion, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, bay leaf, juniper berries, salt, and sugar to taste and pour over the meat, which is no longer cold from the refrigerator. Let it marinate overnight. The hot stock saves you days of marinating. Take the meat out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. The meat shouldn’t be too cold. Pat the meat dry, season with salt and pepper, and fry it in fat until crispy. When it’s nice and browned, remove it. Chop the root vegetables and onion and add to the pan until browned. At the end, add a little tomato paste. Deglaze with at least half of the stock and add the meat. Pour in the caramel malt and stock until the meat is 2/3 covered with liquid. Simmer the meat for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Add the spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, paprika, thyme, pepper) 30 minutes before the end of cooking, otherwise they will lose their flavor. Turn off the heat and let the roast cool on the stovetop. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, heat everything up briefly. Then remove the meat and pass the sauce through a sieve. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the gravy cake, simmer for at least 20 minutes, and puree. Season again to taste. In the meantime, make a dark roux and let it cool slightly. Finish the sauce with the roux. Add the meat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Then slice the sauerbraten and enjoy with the sauce.