Grandma's Sauerbraten

This is the very sauerbraten recipe my grandmother used to make. My friends thought I just found it in a list of Campbell's soup recipes, but it really was handed down in my family. It's not easy to find yummy recipes like this any more - traditional, old-world, and delicious!

Notes

You can add raisins, ketchup-ground gingersnaps (but I don't. I like the gravy "straight"). Serve with potato dumplings (buy the mix) or (which I use) wide egg noodles-boiled and drained-with just enough butter on them to keep them from sticking. Noodles can also be fried in a pan for a couple of minutes if desired. Serve with brown bread, maybe some applesauce, some sliced carrots.

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Cooking Time4 hr

Ingredients

3 pounds beef shoulder, chuck, rump or round
2 teaspoons garlic pepper
2 cups wine vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 cup sliced onions (or a little more)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon peppercorns
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
beer or water to smoothen gravy
1 1/2 cup cultured sour cream

Instructions

Thoroughly rub the garlic pepper into the meat and place the meat in a deep crock or glass bowl (NOT metal or aluminum).
Heat together, but do not boil, the vinegar, water, bay leaves, peppercorns, caraway seeds, and sugar.
Pour the hot marinade over the beef; more than half should be covered.
Cover with a lid (NOT aluminum foil) and refrigerate 2-4 days; The longer you leave it the more "sour" the meat.
When ready to cook, drain the meat, saving the marinade.
Heat oil in a heavy pan that has a fairly tight cover and brown the meat on all sides and then cook as for pot roast, using the marinade in place of stock. Have a can of Campbells beef bouillon on hand in case you need more stock as you are cooking, although you probably will not need it.
Either simmer on top of stove or bake in a 325F degree oven for 3-4 hours. During this time turn the meat several times.
When the meat is tender, sprinkle with the brown sugar and roast 5-10 minutes more, until sugar is dissolved.
Remove meat from pan to a warm platter, reserving juices in the pan.
In a small bowl, mix the flour with just enough beer (or water) to make it smooth.
Put pan on top of burner on low heat and thicken the stock with the flour-beer mixture.
Add the sour cream.