sauerbraten

Sauerbraten with potato dumplings and red cabbage

Sauerbraten (German: sauer, sour + Braten, roast meat)^[1] is a German pot roast, usually of beef (but other meats such as venison, lamb, mutton, pork, and horse are sometimes used)^[2][3][4], 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 noodles.^[5][6] While many German-style restaurants in America pair potato pancakes with sauerbraten, this is common only in a small part of Germany.^[7]

Sauerbraten has been described as one of the national dishes of Germany.^[8] Sauerbraten is one of the best known German dishes and several regions boast local versions including: Bavaria, Rhineland, Saarland, Silesia, and Swabia.^[2] Regional variations of sauerbraten differ in the ingredients of their marinade, gravy, and traditional accompaniments.

Preparation

Sauerbraten marinating

A solid cut from the bottom round^[9] or rump is marinated for three or four days^[10], or as many as 10^[11], before cooking.

Red wine vinegar, wine, and/or water typically forms the basis of the marinade, which also includes earthy aromatic spices such as peppercorns, juniper berries, cloves, nutmeg, and bay leaves and less commonly coriander, mustard seed, laurel leaves, cinnamon, mace, ginger, and thyme.^[12][13][14] The marinade may also include vegetables such as onions, celery, and carrots.^[10] The acidic marinade helps tenderize the meat (which is typically a tougher cut) before it cooks. Buttermilk is also used as a marinade in certain regional varieties.^[7][15]

It is frequently advised to marinate the meat in an earthenware, glass, plastic, or enamel container rather than one made of metal, so the acidic marinade does not react with the vessel during the extended marinating process.

After the meat is removed from the marinade and dried, it is first browned in oil or lard and then braised with the strained marinade in a covered dish in a medium oven or on the stovetop. After simmering for four hours or more, depending on the size of the roast, the marinade will continue to flavor the roast, and as the meat cooks, its juices will also be released resulting in a very tender roast.

After the roast is cooked, the marinade is strained and returned to a saucepan where it is thickened (often with crushed gingerbread, lebkuchen, or gingersnaps, flour, sour cream, brown sugar, and/or roux)^[16][17] which brings both body and flavor to the sauce. Before it closed its doors in 1982, Luchow's famous German restaurant in New York City used crushed gingersnap cookies to season and thicken the gravy of its sauerbraten, one of the favored dishes.^[7][18] This style was made popular in the U.S. after the publication of “Luchow's German Cookbook: The Story and the Favorite Dishes of America's Most Famous German Restaurant” by Jan Mitchell in 1952.^[10] In the popular Rhineland version (Rheinischen Sauerbraten), sugar and raisins are added to the gravy in order to give the dish some countering sweetness.^[19]

Venison or other game are often prepared as sauerbraten as the spices and vinegar take away the “wild” taste of the meat.^[20]

History

Sauerbraten was originally made with horse meat but today it is almost always made with beef^[21][22] The town of Eschweiler, Germany has a long horse butcher tradition, and sauerbraten is one of its culinary specialities.

Several sources believe sauerbraten was invented by Charlemagne in the ninth century AD as a means of using leftover roasted meat.^[23][24] 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.^{[25][unreliable source?]} 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.^[19] While quite common, these claims are largely unsubstantiated.

Other

Sauerbraten seasonings are available in pre-made packets from Unilever as Knorr Sauerbraten (Pot Roast) recipe mix^[26] and from Alba Gewürze GmbH & Co. KG.^[27]

While sauerbraten belongs with beer and not wine^[28], it does pair well with the following wine varietals: Burgundy^[29], Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Shiraz.^[30]

Venues

Sauerbraten was a staple at Luchow's German restaurant in New York City (1882–1982).^{[citation needed]}

Notes

1. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th Ed.). (2006)
2. ^ ^{a b} Sheraton 1965, p.147.
3. ^ Kummer 2007, p. 553.
4. ^ Casada 1996, p. 30.
5. ^ http://www.germanfoods.org/schools/delicious/traditionaldishes.cfm
6. ^ Barer-Stein 1999, pp.172-174.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Saekel 2005, F-5.
8. ^ Garrett 1898.
9. ^ The Culinary Institute of America Publisher 2006, p.178.
10. ^ ^{a b c} Mitchell 1953, p.106.
11. ^ Sales 1977, p.176.
12. ^ Kummer 2007, p. 553.
13. ^ http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/sauerbraten-spice-blend
14. ^ Wood 1983, p.95.
15. ^ Richards 1966, p.182.
16. ^ Kummer 2007, p. 553.
17. ^ Youngkrantz 1997, p.105.
18. ^ O'Neill 1992, p. 181.
19. ^ ^{a b} Hassani 2004, p.156.
20. ^ Schmidt 2003, p.94.
21. ^ Kummer 2007, p. 553.
22. ^ Babcock 2002 p.248.
23. ^ Herter 1995.
24. ^ Schmidt 2003, p.94.
25. ^ http://www.foodreference.com/html/html/april2.html
26. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Knorr-Entree-Mixes-Pot-Sauerbraten-2-Ounce/dp/B000F3Q1FK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1239049607&sr=1-1
27. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Alba-Sauerbraten-Spices-0-53-Ounce-Packets/dp/B000S4NUC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1239049721&sr=1-1
28. ^ Jackson 1998, p.53.
29. ^ Mitchell 1953, p. 107
30. ^ http://www.winedin.com/pair_food_wine.php?food=Sauerbraten

References

• Babcock, Erika M. L. (2002). Rika's Stories from the Other Side. IUniverse.
• Barer-Stein, Thelma (1999). You Eat What You Are. A FireFly Book.
• Casada, Jim & Casada, Ann (1996). The Complete Venison Cookbook: From Field to Table. *Krause Publications.
• Clancy, Tom (2003). The Teeth of the Tiger (1st ed). G. P. Putnam's Sons.
• Garrett, Theodore Francis (Ed.) (1898). The Encyclopedia of Practical Cookery. L. Upcott Gill, 170, Strand, W.C. London. Vol. III.
• Hassani, Nadia (2004). Spoonfuls of Germany: Culinary Delights of the German Regions in 170 Recipes. Hippocrene Books.
• Herter, George Leonard & Herter, Berthe (1995). Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices (9th ed.). Ecco.
• Holberg, Amelia S (1999). Betty Boop: Yiddish Film Star. American Jewish History, Vol. 87. See http://vlex.com/vid/betty-boop-yiddish-film-star-52720563
• http://www.amazon.com/Alba-Sauerbraten-Spices-0-53-Ounce-Packets/dp/B000S4NUC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1239049721&sr=1-1
• http://www.amazon.com/Knorr-Entree-Mixes-Pot-Sauerbraten-2-Ounce/dp/B000F3Q1FK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1239049607&sr=1-1
• http://www.germanfoods.org/schools/delicious/traditionaldishes.cfm
• http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/sauerbraten-spice-blend
• http://www.winedin.com/pair_food_wine.php?food=Sauerbraten
• Jackson, Michael (1998). Ultimate Beer. DK ADULT.
• Knorr is a registered trademark of the Unilever company.
• Kummer, Madison (2007). 1,001 Foods to Die For. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
• Mitchell, Jan (1953). Luchow's German Cookbook: The Story and the Favorite Dishes of America's Most Famous German Restaurant. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
• O'Neill, Molly (1992). New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants. Workman Publishing Company.
• Richards, Lenore & Treat, Nola (1966). Quantity cookery; menu planning and cooking for large numbers (4th Ed.). Little, Brown, & Co.
• Saekel, Karola (December 28, 2005). “Sauerbraten recipe surfaces just in time”. San Francisco Chronicle, F-5.
• Sales, Georgia (1977). The Clay Pot Cookbook. Wiley & Sons.
• Schmidt, Gretchen (2003). German Pride: 101 Reasons to Be Proud You're German. Citadel Press.
• Sheraton, Mimi (1965). The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking. Random House.
• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th Ed.). (2006) Houghton Mifflin Company.
• The Culinary Institute of America Publisher (2006). The Professional Chef (8th ed.). Wiley, p. 178.
• Vonnegut, Kurt (2009). Armageddon in Retrospect. Berkley Trade.
• Wood, Morrison (1983). Through Europe with a Jug of Wine. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, p. 95.
• Youngkrantz, Gini (1997). Authentic German Home Style Recipes (4th Ed.). B. G. Youngkrantz Company.