Red Wine Braised Beef with Bread Dumplings

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 200 g celery root
• 2 carrots
• 500 ml dry red wine
• 100 ml red wine vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 Cloves
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp juniper berries
• 1.2 kg beef stew roast (e.g., shoulder)
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 50 g Raisins
• 1 tsp beetroot juice

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and dice the onions, celery root, and carrots. Combine with wine, vinegar, and about 250 ml water in a pot. Add the spices, bring to a boil, then let cool.

2. 2.

   Rinse the beef, pat dry, and place it in a large bowl or pot. Pour the brine over the meat so that it is covered; if necessary add more red wine. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 days, turning 2–3 times during this period.

3. 3.

   Remove the meat from the brine, pat dry, season with salt and pepper, and sear all sides in hot clarified butter in a roasting pan. Remove again.

4. 4.

   Strain the brine through a sieve and brown the drained vegetables in the same pan. Add tomato paste briefly, then deglaze with some of the brine. Return the meat to the pan so that it is about halfway submerged in liquid. Cover and simmer gently for 2½–3 hours, turning occasionally and adding more liquid as needed.

5. 5.

   Take the meat out of the pan and wrap it in foil. Strain the sauce through a sieve; reduce if desired or add more liquid. Thicken with starch if preferred. Add raisins to the sauce, let simmer a few minutes, sweeten with beetroot juice, then season with salt and pepper. Slice the beef and serve.

6. 6.

   Serve with optional red cabbage and bread dumplings.