Sauerbraten

Pin It So, I have a whole bunch of cookbooks which I have either received as gifts, or purchased for myself. Honestly, I often use one recipe from a book and then put it right back on the shelf. In this particular case, I got a beautiful Williams-Sonoma slow cooker cookbook from my mother. I made one recipe, and back to the shelf it went. However, since I haven't been able to work, I have been cooking a lot more. So, as I was flipping through the pages, I found a recipe for crock pot sauerbraten. I had never tried sauerbraten before, so I figured "What the heck?" The cookbook has a little side note that says traditional sauerbraten is marinated for a couple of days before cooking, so I did that. It definitely was worth the wait. Even my 3 year old son loved it, especially the cabbage! You can find the original recipe here. I served it with olive oil roasted red potatoes, but it is traditionally served with spaetzle or boiled potatoes. Without further ado, here is the recipe!

Sauerbraten

Ingredients:

Boneless beef chuck roast (3 1/2 - 4lbs)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tsp ground ginger

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 cup beef broth

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 bay leaf

1/2 head red cabbage, thinly shredded

12-16 gingersnap cookies, finely crushed (I used 16, and I used a food processor to crush them)

(Side note: As I type this, I realize I didn't use the onion when I made this. It was purely an accident on my part. So, I guess the lesson here is that if you don't particularly want onions, that's OK! It will taste delicious anyways!)

Preparation:

Boil the broth, vinegar, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature. Season the beef with salt, pepper, and ginger. Place beef in container and pour vinegar mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If the roast is not completely covered, turn twice a day.

Transfer roast and liquid to crock pot. Add onions and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 7 hours. Add the cabbage, pressing it down around the edges with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle cabbage with one teaspoon salt. Cover and continue cooking for one hour.

Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer roast to cutting board, and transfer cabbage to serving bowl. Whisk crushed gingersnaps into liquid in the crock pot until thickened into gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer gravy to serving dish/small pitcher. Slice meat across the grain. Either transfer to serving plate, or dish up individual servings. Serve with cabbage and gravy on top.

ENJOY!!

Credits: Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Slow Cooker