Finishing your Sauerbraten

By this point you should have some sauerbraten that has marinated for 3 to 5 days. If you need the recipe and instructions for the marinade see part 1 of this series. I got this recipe from The German Cookbook.

Rheinischer Sauerbraten (finished)

1 fully marinated 5 pound rump of beef
4 slices bacon and 2 T butter
2 large onions, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 cloves

1) Remove roast from the marinade and dry really really really well with paper towels.
2) Strain the marinade and save. Discard the solids.
3) melt butter in a Dutch Oven and fry bacon in the butter. Remove the bacon slices to a paper towel.
4) Brown the roast on all sides in the bacon grease and butter. It should take about 15 minutes.
5) Remove roast from pan and set aside.
6) Saute the onions in the butter until soft.
7) Return the roast to the pot and place on top of the onions. Also return the bacon.
8) Fill Dutch oven to halfway up the side of the roast with a mixture of leftover strained marinade and water.

** if you use 100% marinade and no fresh water you will have an extremely strong gravy. That is how German Cookbook. recommends to make it but if I were you I would dilute it. Make a batch with 1 cup marinade and the rest water and see how you like it.

9) Add the bay leaf and cloves.
10) Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to a very very slow simmer.
11) Simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Preparing the gravy

2 T butter
3 T flour
2 T sugar
lemon juice
1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water
1 T tomato puree

1) Remove meat from the pan
2) Strain the liquids and throw out the solids.
3) Return the liquid to the Dutch Oven.
4) In a separate saucepan, melt butter, add flour and sugar. Stir on low heat until the sugar turns a deep caramel color.
5) Add the butter/sugar/flour mix to the Dutch oven and stir with a whisk.
6) Squeeze a little lemon juice into the pot.
7) Add the raisins which have been soaked and drained
8) Return the roast to the pot, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
9) If the sauce gets too thick add a little water.

** more likely your sauce will be too thin. To fix that problem ladle out about a cup of the sauce and add a few tablespoons of flour to it. Stir really well and then add back to the pot. The gravy should thicken up. You can repeat that process until the gravy is more to your liking.

10) 5 minutes before serving add the tomato sauce.

To serve, slice the meat and arrange on a heated platter splashed with a little gravy. Serve the rest of the gravy on the side.