Grandma Fritzs Sauerbraten For The Crock Pot Food

SLOW-COOKER SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Sprinkle the brisket with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cut crosswise into 3 pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the brisket in batches and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.
• Add the tomato paste to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in the wine, vinegar and pickling spice sachet and simmer 4 minutes. Add to the slow cooker along with the beef broth, carrots, celery, leeks and half of the gingersnaps. Cover and cook on low, 8 hours.
• Remove the meat, vegetables and spice sachet. Whisk the remaining gingersnaps into the cooking liquid and add salt, pepper and parsley to taste. Set aside 1 piece of brisket, 1 cup vegetables and 2 cups gravy to make Corn, Squash and Beef Casserole. Slice the remaining meat and serve with the vegetables and gravy.

KATE'S EASY GERMAN SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Heat water, red wine, cider vinegar, lemon, 1/2 onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaves, white sugar, salt, juniper berries, and peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Allow marinade to cool and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add beef roast, coat with marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal bag. Marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 3 days, turning the roast twice a day.
• Place onions, carrots, and celery in a slow cooker. Remove roast from marinade and place atop vegetables. Strain marinade and pour 2 1/2 cups over roast; reserve remaining marinade.
• Cover and cook roast on Low for 8 hours. Turn slow cooker off. Transfer roast to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Strain cooking liquid into a large bowl and return vegetables to slow cooker to rest.
• Heat about 3 cups cooking liquid and gingersnaps in a saucepan over medium-high heat, adding reserved marinade as needed, until gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Slice roast and serve with vegetables and gravy.

SAUERBRATEN BEEF IN GINGERSNAP GRAVY

Steps:

• Combine beef stew meat, onion, beef broth, vinegar, and bay leaves in a slow cooker.
• Cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook egg noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.
• Remove bay leaves from beef mixture; stir in crushed gingersnaps and brown sugar. Cook beef mixture on Low until thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve sauerbraten over egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

CROCK POT SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool.
• Place beef in a glass 9 x 13" baking dish. Pour cooled marinade over beef. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator for 3 days, turning twice daily.
• Remove meat and place in a 7-8 quart slow cooker. Strain marinade and pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until beef starts to fall apart on the edges.
• Remove beef to a platter and slice 1/4" thick. Set aside.
• Strain liquid and return to crock pot, turn to high. Add the brown sugar and gingersnaps, stirring until dissolved. Mix the flour into the 1/4 cup water. Stir into the liquid and heat and stir for 5 minutes. Return the beef to the gravy. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes more or until the gravy is thickened. Serve with hot noodles or Spaetzle.

SLOW-COOKER SAUERBRATEN

Steps:

• Mix first six ingredients. Place roast in a 5-qt. slow cooker; add water. Pour ketchup mixture over top. Add cookie crumbs. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours., Remove roast from slow cooker; keep warm. Strain cooking juices; skim fat. Transfer 4 cups juices to a saucepan; bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Return to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve with roast.

GRANDMA FRITZ'S SAUERBRATEN (FOR THE CROCK POT)

Steps:

• Combine onions, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, vinegar, and water.
• Arrange meat in a covered earthenware or Tupperware container and pour pickling solution over the top of the meat.
• Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (the longer it marinades, the more flavor soaks into the meat).
• Turn the meat once or twice a day.
• Remove the meat from the solution and pat dry.
• Remove and discard the bay leaves and peppercorns.
• Strain and reserve the onions.
• Put a little oil (I like to go light, if I can, and use extra virgin olive oil or Canola, but you can use a couple of tablespoons of butter) in a skillet and heat and cook reserved onions until they are transparent, but not brown.
• Remove onions and brown meat on all sides in the same oil.
• Place onions and meat in a slow cooker/crock pot and fill the crock pot with a cup of the pickling solution.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the meat is cooked through and tender.
• When meat is done, remove to a warm platter and cover to keep warm.
• Add any remaining marinade to a skillet.
• Add brown sugar, raisins, crumbled ginger snaps (I pound these out in a Ziploc bag to crush them).
• Stir and cook until the sauce is smooth and has thickened--about 15-20 minutes.
• Serve the sauce over the slices of meat and put the remainder of the sauce in a gravy boat.