Sauerbraten -

Sauerbraten

The classic sweet-sour marinade gives this dish its name.

Ingredients

1kg/2 ¼ lb silverside of beef
30ml/2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, sliced
115g/4oz smoked streaky bacon, diced
15ml/1 tbsp cornflour
50g/2oz/ 1 cup crushed ginger biscuits
Flat leaf parsley, to garnish
Buttered noodles, to serve

For the marinade

2 onions, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
2 celery sticks, sliced
600ml/1 pint/2 ½ cups water
150ml/ ¼ pint/ ⅔ cup red vinegar
1 bay leaf
6 cloves
6 whole black peppercorns
15ml/1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
10ml/2 tsp salt

Details

Serves: 6

Method

1. To make the marinade, put the onions, carrot and celery into a pan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Cover and leave to cool. 2. Put the joint in a casserole into which it just fits. Pour over the marinade, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 3 days if possible, turning the joint daily. 3. Remove the joint from the marinade and dry thoroughly using kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the beef over a high heat. Remove the joint and set aside. Add the sliced onion to the pan and fry for 5 minutes. Add the bacon and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. 4. Strain the marinade, reserving the liquid. Put the onion and bacon in a large flameproof casserole or pan, then put the beef on top. Pour over the marinade liquid. Slowly bring to the boil, cover, then simmer over a low heat for 1 ½ -2 hours, or until the beef is very tender. 5. Remove the beef and keep warm. Blend the cornflour in a cup with a little cold water. Add to the cooking liquid with the ginger biscuit crumbs and bring to the boil, stirring. Thickly slice the beef and serve on a bed of hot buttered noodles. Garnish with sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley and serve the gravy separately.

Related food category:

• Beef