Sauerbraten (German: sauer ‘sour’ i.e. pickled + Braten, roast meat) is a German pot roast, usually of beef (but other meats such as venison, lamb, mutton, pork, and horse are sometimes used), marinated before cooking in a mixture of vinegar, water, spices and seasonings. Sauerbraten is traditionally served with red cabbage, potato dumplings (Kartoffelklöße), Spätzle, boiled potatoes, or pasta.
Sauerbraten was originally made with horse meat but today it is almost always made with beef .The town of Eschweiler, Germany has a long horse butcher tradition, and sauerbraten is one of its culinary specialties.
Several sources believe sauerbraten was invented by Charlemagne in the ninth century AD as a means of using leftover roasted meat. Saint Albertus Magnus, also known as Saint Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, is also credited with popularizing the dish in the thirteenth century. Julius Caesar has been assigned a role in the inspiration for sauerbraten as he purportedly sent amphoras filled with beef marinated in wine
over the Alps to the newly founded Roman colony of Cologne. According to this legend, this inspired the residents of Cologne to imitate the Roman import.
Okay, so I have had sauerbraten in the United States Of America. I have had Sauerbraten in Munich Germany.
And I have to tell you that the absolute bestI ever ate was in Queens , New York at the dinning room table of Mrs. Budney.
Yes , My best buddy, Tony Budney’s , Mom.
She has to be the sweetest Mom along side of my Mom that ever was.
My buddy Tony , aka”Uncle Tony” invited me to his house back when we were both in the NAVY.
You would have thought that I was one of her own children for as welcome as I was .
The meal Mrs. Budney made was Sauerbraten.
I had never eaten this before but I knew that I had have this again.
It was SOOO!!! GOOOOD !!!
But wait , Before I get into the recipe I have to share a story that I tell a lot, just because this lady was so sweet.
Once upon time when I was in the Navy. we had to make a supply run from New Jersey to a warehouse in Manhattan, which for those of you that don’t know is not very far from Queens , which is where the Budney estate is. . So after we picked up our package I said , to the owner of the supply house ,”hey, how close are we to Queens ? ” and Mr. Salomonsaid, ” you are very close .”
So I said, ” lets go see if my buddy is home on leave.”
So off we go I find this house . We get there and I ring the bell and Mrs. Budney answers the door and says’ ” Ooh Scott, God Bless , It’s so good to see you, how are you? Tony’s not here.”
Just like I lived down the street and it was no big surprise to see me.
So I Said, ” We were in town and Ihad time and I thought I would stop and say Hi, ….. Hi”
” Ooh come in , come in , Let me get you some coffee..” We went in and she poured us coffee I introduce Jeff Saurbeck, my lead petty officer. ( my boss )
“Ooh God bless , it’s so nice to see you Scott and meet your friend, MR Budney ( Tony’s Dad ) wont be home until 5:00.”
” We wont be able to stay , we have to get back to the ship.”
“Can I make you something to eat?””
“No ma’am”, but thank you.”
“It’s no trouble I can make you a sandwhich.”
“No , No Thank you we just have time for coffee”
We chatted for a little while about Tony , and the brothers and sister and about how the family was doing and then it was time to go.
Saurbeck excused himself he had to use the bathroom.
Bending herhead close to me she says, ‘”Scott, your friend seems very nice but he is awfully quite, is he okay?”
“Yes, ” I say. ” He’s from south-west Virginia and I don’t’ think he ever wore shoes till he joined the navy, plus he’s never been to a big city much less New York and I think he ‘s a little over whelmed.”
“Well God Bless him, I do know what you mean .MR. Budney and I lived in Norfolk, Virginia when he was in the Navy, so I do know what you mean.”
Jeff came back from the bathroom and said it was time to go. So wesaid our good byes and I said, ”I was sorry we couldn’t stay to see Mr. Budney but to say hi for me.”
So I got a hug and off to the van we went.
After we got back on the road Saurbeck , in a slow southern drawl , says to me, ” SSSSSSSScott”
“Yeah?”
” That there Mrs. Budney…… your friends Mom…… was a real nice Lady.”
“Yes she is a real sweetheart. ”
“Yep , ….. but I got to tell you…….. I couldn’t understandNARY a word of what she was talking about.”
Cracked me up.
“Little to fast for you?”” , they talk pretty fast in New York City.
“Well,,,….. yep…… and alotta toooooo much Yankee.”
So here is the recipe and you should follow it to the letter.
It will be the best sauerbraten you have ever had , but this I will tell you.
It will not be as good as Mrs. Budney’s with all the TLC that she put in.
Only in the friendly Kitchens of the Budney family , if you are lucky enough to know one of them, is the absolutely bestSauerbraten.
(but this will be close)
4 lb. rump roast ( sometimes called bottom round )
cider vinegar\1 Tbsp. salt
12 cloves
6 bay leaves
2 med. onions – sliced
6 whole black pepper seeds
1 /2 lemon – Sliced
3 DAYS AHEAD OF TIME
Place meat in a crock or bowl sufficiently large to allow it to be covered with liquid. Now pour in liquid consisting of the following mixture: half cider / vinegar half water . Add enough of this liquid to just cover the meat( start with a cup of vinegar and a cup of water add more if need) Then add all other ingredients. Leave meat in this mixture for 3 days in refrigerator turning every once in a while.
COOKING DIRECTIONS
Take meat out of liquid and let drain. SAVE LIQUID !
3/4 cup sifted flour
1 cup cold water
butter
6 ginger snaps – crumbled,
Parsely
In a Dutch oven or a roasting pan with a tight fitting lid.
Melt 3 Tbsp. butter
Brown meat on all over as you would for a pot roast.
Then gradually add all liquid that it has been soaked in, including all the spices , etc. Then add ginger snaps.
Cover the pan with lid and allow meat to simmer slowly for 2-3 hours. ( meat will be done when you can easily insert the point of a knife.)
While meat is cooking , preheat oven to 400°. Spread flour in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until flour is the color of pecan shells, stirring with a wooden spoon every 7 minutes. Remove from skillet, and cool completely . (about 30 minutes)
Add flour to pot with meat and allow to cook for 10 minutes. If you find that the gravy forming is a little thick add a little water.
After cooking 10 minutes , strain the gravy and place meat with strained gravy again and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from pot Let rest for 5 minutes , Slice and serve with
Kartoffelkloesse (German Potato Dumplings)
6 medium potatoes
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 Tsp nutmeg salt
Boil potatoes in their jacket and then remove skin and put thru ricer ( or mash slightly if you don’t have a ricer}
Spread on a clean towel to dry out moisture
Pat with another towel.
Then place in a large bowl and sprinkle in 2 level Tsp. of salt.
Make a hallow and break in to this 2 eggs
Sift in 3/4 cup of flour and add 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 Tsp nutmeg.
Work all this together; then place board and knead well until you can make then in dry balls( if wet , then add a few more bread crumbs)
Roll this mixture into small balls and drop into a large pot of boiling water. when the potato balls come to the surface of the water , allow them to boil about three minutes . Then take one out and cut it. when cooked the center should be dry – not soggy. Remove from water with wire spoon
You have to careful not to boil too long, or the potato ball will fall apart After balls are done place on platter.
Sprinkle parsley .
Eat and Enjoy !
