'Eat and Greet': Sauerbraten

May 31, 2006 — -- As part of ABC News' "Eat and Greet" series, ABC's Katrina Szish visits the kitchen of New York City's Heidelberg Restaurant to bring you executive chef Dieter Weber's recipe for German Sauerbraten.

Sauerbraten

Serving Size: 10-12 portions

Ingredients

Whole bottom round flat, trimmed of excess fat (average weight: 12-14 pounds). Edges trimmed off bottom round to make uniform, rectangle piece.

Marinade:

6 cups white vinegar

6 cups red vinegar

1 cup red wine

12 cups water

2 TB black peppercorn

1 TB cloves

1 TB juniper berries

1 TB garlic (optional)

1 TB ginger (optional)

8 bay leaves

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup salt

1 cup carrot pieces

1 cup onions chopped large

½ cup chopped celery

Directions:

Put all marinade ingredients into dish large enough to submerge bottom round into. Marinate five days to seven days in refrigerator. Put meat into roasting pan, pour marinade juices over meat. Cover with foil and cook three hours, 400 degrees in oven. With 30 minute cooking time remaining, remove foil cover and allow the top of the roast to brown. Make gravy from stock, add water to dilute. Thicken with Roux, season with salt / pepper to taste.

Sauerbraten Gravy

Take stock from roasting pan, strain through colander, and put into a pot. Add water (in 2 to 1 ratio = for every 4 cups stock, add 2 cups water) to taste because it is cooked down and flavorful. Bring to a boil, and thicken with roux. Roux can just be a cornstarch / flour mix, or a butter roux. Thicken to desired consistency