“2020 has been hard. Maybe even as hard as pronouncing my favorite Christmas dish: Gisela’s Sauerbraten. Gisela (pronounced geese-el-uh) is my grandmother on my father’s side of my family. Sauerbraten (pronounced sour-brought-in) is a large, heavily marinated beef roast, regarded as the national dish of Germany. The beauty of making sauerbraten at Christmas is that much of the preparation is completed 3 days in advance. Since the cooking process (simmering) is set-it-and-forget-it simple, you are free to spend more time visiting with loved ones. My family always enjoys this dish during the holidays; it shakes the frost off of our bones and warms our spirits!” - James Barrett
Yield: 12 servings (enough to feed 8 hungry Kentuckians)
Ingredients:
4lbs bottom round (beef, elk, or venison)
Marinade:
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp freshly ground pepper (black)
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
12 oz. red wine vinegar
18 oz. water *if water volume changes, the water to vinegar ratio should stay at 1.5/1
Gravy:
Flour
Salt
Honey
Sour Cream
Directions:
Marinade:
Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a stockpot and bring to a steady boil for 5 minutes.
Remove stockpot from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Place beef into the stockpot (lid on).
Place stockpot in refrigerator for 3 days.
Cooking:
Remove stockpot from refrigerator.
Strain contents of the stockpot, being sure to save the liquid in a bowl (or another stockpot)
Heat a skillet (cast iron preferred) to medium-high heat with 1 tbsp. canola oil.
Remove the beef from the stockpot and brown on all sides.
Place the marinade back into the stockpot and bring to a simmer.
Once beef is browned, add it to the simmering marinade.
Add 2-3 tbsp. of honey to the beef and marinade.
Let simmer for 5 hours.
Remove meat from the mixture
Turn the temperature up until the marinade comes to a soft boil.
Thicken the marinade with flour (whisking to incorporate) until you reach a desired gravy (your preference how thick or thin you like it).
Stir/whisk often to prevent burning
Taste the gravy to see if it needs additional honey or salt.
Add sour cream to the gravy (to taste, whisking or stirring to incorporate).
Shred or slice the beef, then put it back into the gravy for 10 minutes
This dish is best served over egg noodles with sides of red cabbage and potato dumplings. It also makes AMAZING leftovers.