Sour and Sweet

As part of my developing relationship with my slow-cooker, I am trying to hit lots of crockpot dishes. The winter season and the crockpot go together so nicely. The pot sitting on the counter, heating the kitchen for the day, adds to the comfort element and the aroma of a cooking dish adds energy to a sometimes draining time of year.

This time, I decided to get in touch with my roots. Having a strong fraction of German heritage, I found a sauerbraten recipe and it felt right. Of course, the fact that the grocer had a good sale on beef roast aroused the Scot in me! (Truth be told, I have no “Scot blood” [my loss, I guess], I’ll just have to chalk it up to being a value-minded fellow.)

Sauerbraten is a beef roast that is soaked in a vinegar and water mixture. The translation of sauerbraten to English is “Sour Roast”. The German culture was forced to find ways to preserve food as the climate did not provide much year-round refrigeration (ice) and there was not a lot of access to the sea. In my opinion, living on the seaboard gave access to smaller portions with each harvest—it’s easier to consume a fish before it spoils than an entire deer or cow. The Germanic folks relied on simple chemical preservation, usually salt brines or vinegar. Of course, these folks made sausage as a way to preserve food, too. Bless them for that!

Sauerbraten is really simple and a nice change from regular roast. The sour element is something you’ll either really enjoy or, at best, consider a “bad element”. If it were an incredibly popular flavor, you’d see prepared sauerbraten prominently marketed in the store.

The roast gets a very black surface. That is brought on by the vinegar treatment. It is fork-tender when served and the leftovers are great on a bun. To be true to the ethnicity of the dish, one could make potato dumplings. I was time-constrained and opted for a baked sweet potato and steamed veggies.

Old World Sauerbraten
3.5 to 4# beef rump roast or sirloin tip
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 Large onion
1 Lemon, sliced (not peeled)
10 Cloves, whole
4 Bay Leaves
6 Peppercorns, whole
2 Tbsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar
12 Gingersnaps, crumbled

Place meat in a deep, ceramic or glass bowl. Combine water, vinegar, onion, lemon, cloves, bay leaves, pepper, salt, and sugar. Pour mix over meat. Cover meat and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours; turn meat several times during the marinating. Place beef on slow-cooker pot and pour one cup of the liquid on the meat. Cover pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Place meat on a serving platter and tent to retain heat. Strain the juice and return liquid to the pot. Turn pot on high. Stir in gingersnaps; cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour over sliced meat.
Makes 8 servings.