We created a “German Smorgasbord” at a private home in Chapel Hill. Everyone dressed up as if they were the Von Trapp family (from Austria). There was German music, icy beer and of course our feast:Asparagus wrapped in Black Forest Ham, Fig Canapés with Mustard-Onion Jam, Sauerkraut/Potato/Smoked Ham Balls with Mustard Dipping Sauce, Sauerbraten with thick Gravy (that included, strangely enough Ginger Snaps) and boiled Red Potatoes, sides of Red Cabbage, Beets in Sour Cream and Sliced cucumbers from the "Secret Garden."
The finishing touches were two Kuchen's; German summer desserts of fresh fruit that resemble a cross of pie and cake. We did one with Granny Smith Apples and added Figs to the other.
Also, in case you’re wondering, here’s a brief history of Sauerbraten, or German pot roast.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Sauerbraten is a German pot roast, usually of beef (but other meats such as venison, lamb, mutton, pork, and horse are sometimes used), marinated before cooking in a mixture of vinegar, water, spices and seasonings. Sauerbraten is traditionally served with red cabbage, potato dumplings (Kartoffelklöße), Spätzle, boiled potatoes, or noodles. While many German-style restaurants in America pair potato pancakes with sauerbraten, this is common only in a small part of Germany.
Sauerbraten was originally made with horse meat but today it is almost always made with beef[21] The town of Eschweiler, Germany has a long horse butcher tradition, and sauerbraten is one of its culinary specialities.
Several sources believe sauerbraten was invented by Charlemagne in the ninth century AD as a means of using leftover roasted meat. Saint Albertus Magnus, also known as Saint Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, is also credited with popularizing the dish in the thirteenth century. Julius Caesar has been assigned a role in the inspiration for sauerbraten as he purportedly sent amphoras filled with beef marinated in wine over the Alps to the newly founded Roman colony of Cologne. According to this legend, this inspired the residents of Cologne to imitate the Roman import. While quite common, these claims are largely unsubstantiated.
Sauerbraten marinating
A solid cut from the bottom round or rump is marinated for three or four days, or as many as 10, before cooking.
A solid cut from the bottom round or rump is marinated for three or four days, or as many as 10, before cooking.
Red wine vinegar, wine, and/or water typically forms the basis of the marinade, which also includes earthy aromatic spices such as peppercorns, juniper berries, cloves, nutmeg, and bay leaves and less commonly coriander, mustard seed, laurel leaves, cinnamon, mace, ginger, and thyme. The marinade may also include vegetables such as onions, celery, and carrots. The acidic marinade helps tenderize the (typically tougher cut of) meat before it cooks. Buttermilk is also used as a marinade in certain regional varieties. It is frequently advised to marinate the meat in an earthenware, glass, plastic, or enamel container so the acidic marinade does not react with the vessel during the extended marinating process.
After the meat is removed from the marinade and dried, it is first browned in oil or lard and then braised with the strained marinade in a covered dish in a medium oven or on the stovetop. After simmering for four hours or more, depending on the size of the roast, the marinade will continue to flavor the roast, and as the meat cooks, its juices will also be released resulting in a very tender roast.
After the roast is cooked, the marinade is strained and returned to a saucepan where it is thickened (often with crushed gingerbread, lebkuchen, or gingersnaps, flour, sour cream, brown sugar, and/or roux) which brings both body and flavor to the sauce. Before it closed its doors in 1982, Luchow's famous German restaurant in New York City used crushed gingersnap cookies to season and thicken the gravy of its sauerbraten, one of the favored dishes. This style was made popular in the U.S. after the publication of “Luchow's German Cookbook: The Story and the Favorite Dishes of America's Most Famous German Restaurant” by Jan Mitchell in 1952. In the popular Rhineland version (Rheinischen Sauerbraten), sugar and raisins are added to the gravy in order to give the dish some countering sweetness.
