Quasi-Sauerbraten
We
love the combination of ginger and Zinfandel, which is a very fruity
wine. When we tried the 2012 Bel'Bruzzo, which is also fruity, with
ginger, we were pleasantly surprised and this has become a favored
pairing. It's the first non-pork pairing that we've offered. The
“secret ingredient” for this pairing is to not marinate the meat very
long, much shorter than an authentic sauerbraten. The longer the meat
marinates the more sour it becomes. If you let it go 3-4 days, drink
beer with it. At day one, the flavors are there, the meat is still
tender, and there's a balance of acidity with the wine. Some mysterious
to mortals transformation brings this spicy dish into balance with the
black cherry of the Bel' Bruzzo.
6 pound beef rump roast or boned chuck roast
3 cups of red wine vinegar
4 cups red wine
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
6 whole cloves
4 T salt
2 onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 T shortening or oil
5 T flour
4 T butter
1 T sugar
3/4 cup crushed gingersnaps
Combine
the vinegar, wine, water and seasonings; pour half of the mixture over
the meat. Add 1 sliced onion and garlic. Marinate in the refrigerator
for 1 full day, turning occasionally. (Reserve the second half of
marinade in refrigerator.)
Remove meat from marinade, pat
dry with paper towels. Discard this marinade. Dust with 1 T of the
flour. In a large high sided pan or pot, brown the meat in the
shortening over high heat. Strain the reserved marinade (from the
refrigerator) and add it to the meat along with the 2nd sliced onion.
Cover and cook gently for 4-5 hours, until fork-tender. Remove the meat
and keep in a warm place.
To make the sauce for the serving
platter: in a small pot, melt the butter; add the remaining flour and
the sugar, stirring until smooth and browned. Slowly add to the stock
the meat has cooked in, cooking and stirring until smooth and
thickened, about 10 minutes, then add the gingersnaps, and cook until
they dissolve. Place meat in the sauce and cook 1/2 hour longer to meld
the flavors. Remove meat, slice thickly, and put on a platter, topping
the meat with the sauce from the pot.