Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (1845) of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, a German physicist who produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range today known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an achievement that earned him the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. In honor of his accomplishments, in 2004 the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) named element 111, roentgenium, a radioactive element with multiple unstable isotopes, after him.

Sauerbraten is a favorite dish throughout Germany and is served in many German restaurants worldwide.  It is a roast (usually of beef or venison) that has been marinated for 3 to 4 days in vinegar, wine, vegetables, and various spices. Marinating the meat acts as a tenderizer, resulting in tender, soft, juicy meat. There are several regional variations of the Sauerbraten, differing mainly by ingredients of the marinade. Rheinischer Sauerbraten, a specialty of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland Pfalz) and North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) where Röntgen was born, is the most well known version. Unique to the Rheinischer Sauerbraten is that it is served with a a slightly sweet sauce made with raisins.

Historically, horse meat was used to make Sauerbraten. However, today beef or venison is most often used. As the name suggests, Sauerbraten has a slightly sour flavor. However, it is served with a complementing sauce that balances this out. In some variations, such as the Rheinischer Sauerbraten, the sauce has a slightly sweet flavor. Also, Sauerbraten should be very tender and soft. The marinade serves both as a flavoring agent and as a tenderizer. The longer the meat is able to marinade, the softer and more flavorful it will become.

Sauerbraten is traditionally served with potato dumplings (Klöße or Knödel), red cabbage, and apple sauce. If you don’t care for potato dumplings, Sauerbraten also goes very well with Spätzle, potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen), and boiled potatoes.

Rheinischer Sauerbraten   (Rhineland Sauerbraten)

Ingredients

1 cup red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups water
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 cloves
5 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
2 lb beef roast (boneless)
4-5 slices bacon, minced
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
4 tablespoons oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
3-4 lebkuchen
½ cup red wine
¾ cup raisins
apple butter, apple juice, or red current jelly, to taste

Instructions

Add the water and red wine vinegar to a pot. Bring to a boil. Grind down peppercorns, cloves, and juniper berries slightly. Add this, as well as the bay leaves to the boiling liquid. Cook for 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Place the beef roast in a large Ziplok bag.. Pour the cooled red wine vinegar mixture over the beef, and zip up all but a small hole in the top.  Squeeze out all the air so that the meat is completely surrounded by marinade and then close the top completely. Refrigerate for 3 days.  If you are neurotic you can flip the bag once per day but it is not necessary.

To cook the meat, begin by heating oil in a roasting pot. Add the bacon and cook until most of the fat has been rendered.

Remove the beef from the marinade. Pat the meat dry with a cloth or some paper towels. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place the meat in the roasting pot and sear each side. Add vegetables to the pot with the meat and allow them to cook with the meat.

Pour the marinade through a strainer into a pot. Heat the marinade to a boil.  Add about 1 cup of the hot marinade to the meat along with the Lebkuchen. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook the meat for 2 hours. About half way through the cooking, add the red wine.

Once the meat is finished cooking, remove the meat from the pot. Cover and keep warm. Pour the liquid and vegetables from the pot through a strainer into a bowl or pot. Return the liquid to the original pot. Mix in raisins and allow the sauce to cook down, until it is thicker. Season with salt, pepper, and optionally the apple sauce or red current jelly.

Slice the sauerbraten and serve with the sauce.