Sauerbraten with Vegetable Side and Spaetzle

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 1 bundle of soup vegetables
• 0.75 kg beef (round, rib tip, chuck)
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves of peppercorns
• 1 tsp juniper berries
• 1 clove garlic
• 400 ml dry red wine
• 100 ml white vinegar
• 40 g clarified butter
• flour (for coating)
• 250 ml meat broth
• 8 baby carrots
• 4 Spring Onions
• Salt
• 300 g flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 30 g clarified butter
• 20 g sugar
• 40 g flour
• 4 tbsp raisins
• 1 tsp cornstarch (optional)
• black pepper (ground)
• 4 tbsp butter
• nutmeg

Instructions

1. 1.

   Prepare the brine first. Clean and dice the onion and soup vegetables into about 1 cm cubes. Place the beef with the vegetables in a sealable container. Sprinkle the spices and peeled garlic cloves over them. Pour wine and vinegar over everything, seal, and let the meat marinate for at least three days, turning daily. Heat clarified butter in a Dutch oven. Remove the beef from the brine, pat dry, coat in flour, and brown on all sides in hot butter. Add some of the vegetables from the brine and sauté together.

2. 2.

   Pour the remaining brine and meat broth over the browned meat, cover, and simmer until tender. Add liquid as needed during cooking (broth or water only). Cooking time depends on cut and size, typically 1½ to 2½ hours. Meanwhile peel carrots and wash spring onions; dry and trim into thirds. Blanch carrots in boiling salted water for 3–5 minutes and spring onions for 2 minutes. Remove, shock in cold water, drain. For spaetzle, whisk flour with eggs and 200 ml water until smooth. Let rest about 20 minutes.

3. 3.

   For the sauce melt fat in a separate pot, brown sugar to pale yellow, then add flour. Roast golden, then pour in 500 ml of cooking liquid from the roast. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain if desired, add raisins, bring to boil again, and thicken with a slurry of cornstarch if needed; season with salt and pepper. Cut spaetzle dough into portions with a knife, drop into boiling salted water until they rise (2–3 minutes).

4. 4.

   Remove with a slotted spoon, shock in cold water. In a pan melt 2 tbsp butter, add spaetzle, season with nutmeg, toss briefly. Sauté vegetables in another pan with melted butter, season with salt and pepper. Slice the finished roast, serve with sauce, spaetzle, and vegetables on warmed plates.