Recipes from the kitchens of the Empire!... or Germany... same thing. These are modernized recipes!
Table of Contents
Main Dishes
Sauerbraten
Schweinkraut
Side Dishes
Semmelknoedel
Rotkraut
Sauerbraten
Sauerbraten is a classic meal that is always popular around holidays and special occasions. While it may seem complicated, actually it's very, very low intensity. The key is to not rush!
Marinade
As Oma (grandmother) always said... the secret is the marinade!
Ingredients
2-4 lb beef roast (or some other nice cut of beef suitable for a roast)
2 cups water
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup flavored vinegar of your choice (I prefer either Apple Cider Vinegar)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground clove (or 4 clove twigs)
1 tbsp ground mustard powder
Directions:
1) Heat the water and vinegar (microwave, stove-top, whatever you prefer)
2) Throw in all the other ingredients and stir well (salt and mustard powder melts, etc.). No need to cook the onion, you're just dissolving stuff into the vinegar water.
3) Marinade your 2-4 pound roast in the refrigerator for no less than 24 hours (48 or 72 preferred). If the marinade in your marinade pot does not cover the meat, flip the meat over from time to time (I flipped it before I left for work, and before I went to bed).
(Option) If you plan on cooking anything else to go with the Sauerbraten (like knoedel, etc.) I strongly suggest you strain/recover the onion and sautee/caramelize them in butter to use in whatever it is you've got planned.
[Back to Top]
Cooking Directions
After the marinade, the cooking is quite simple.
Ingredients:
Meat and marinade from the previous directions
Directions:
1) Bring a skillet to a medium-high to high heat. You can add a dollop of butter, oil, or lard/bacon grease if you wish.
2) Bring the meat out of the marinade and lightly pat it dry with a paper towel.
3) Sear all sides of the roast for a few seconds to a minute per "side." Don't burn it of course, but this step is needed to lock in the juices and give it structural strength during the cooking.
4) Put the meat in a slow cooker (aka "crock pot") big enough for it, pour the marinade and onions on top
5) Cook for 4 hours on High. If your liquid does not cover the meat, flip it over at the 2 hour mark.
6) When you're done, remove the Sauerbraten to a plate or some other container and save the juices for the gravy.
[Back to Top]
Gravy
You can't skip the gravy. Sweet and sour flavors in balance is the key to a good sauerbraten!
Ingredients:
Remaining liquid from the slow cooker from the previous directions
Roughly 1 cup of crushed (preferably to an almost bread crumb consistency) ginger snap cookies
2 tbsp butter
2 heaping tbsp sugar
Directions:
1) Put 2 cups of the liquid from the slow cooker in a skillet on medium heat.
2) Melt in the butter and sugar
3) Slowly add the ginger snap crumbs to the gravy, stirring constantly until you get the consistency you like.
4) Add more sugar if necessary to make the gravy "slightly sweet" to offset the sour of the roast.
[Back to Top]
Schweinkraut
Some dishes are just so simple they don't deserve a pretty name... herb pork. This dish is simple, filling, and a classic. Also...it's fantastic as a sandwich (just add russian dressing and cheese)!
Ingredients:
4-6 pound pork roast
2 cans of sauerkraut or one of the big 32 ounce jars
1-2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp salt
1-2 tsp pepper
(optional) 1 peeled chopped apple
(optional) 1 onion chopped
Directions:
1) Put 1/3 to 1/2 the sauerkraut in the bottom of a slow cooker
2) Put in the pork
3) Add caraway seeds, salt, pepper, and apple/onion if you're using them
4) Cover the meat as best you can with the rest of the sauerkraut
5) Cook 10 hours low
[Back to Top]
Semmelknoedel
Bread dumplings are a classic bread side-dish. They go great with just about everything!
When you first start to make semmelknoedel you're likely to get the texture a little too wet (which causes your dumpling to fall apart when you boil it). I suggest making a few small "test batches" before your first big meal. It doesn't take long and once you learn the correct texture for the dough, you're not likely to forget it.
Modern German knoedel "mixes" have little boiling bags to help folks "get it right" the first time but you don't need them. If you're really nervous about it and don't have the knoedel boiler bags, you can always steam the dumplings instead of boiling.
Ingredients:
1 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs (either hard, stale bread processed in a food processor or commercially bought bread crumbs)
1 egg
1 tbsp salt
"flavorings" - This is roughly 1 tsp optional flavorings: parsley, finely chopped/sautéed onion, etc. - I prefer to use sauteed onions from the sauerbraten marinade plus some parsley.
Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl, add one egg to the bread crumbs and stir to coat the bread crumbs as evenly as possible
2) Add flavorings if you're using them
3) (ONLY IF NEEDED) Add liquid, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, stirring until the bread crumbs take on the texture of firm cookie dough. This is usually either water or milk.
4) Roll the dough into balls (I prefer golf ball sized). A dumpling should not be sticky to the touch if you've got it right. If it's very "sticky" or "gooey," you added too much milk; add more bread crumbs.
5) (Optional - if you have time) Set the batter in the refrigerator for 3 hours or so while you cook other things so the bread can soak up the liquid and flavors.
6) Add salt to a high walled pot and bring water to a slow bubble (there should be enough water to completely cover the dumplings).
7) (for new cooks) THE TEST DUMPLING: When you're new to this, make a test dumpling first. Place in one of your dumplings in the salty water and watch it. It will almost certainly sink in the water. If it starts to dissolve ("flakes" of bread start to come off) your dough is too wet. Fish out what's left and toss all your dumplings back into the mixing bowl and stir in more bread crumbs.
8) If your test dumpling works out (only a few flakes come off in the water at most) bring the water to a full rolling boil, put in the rest of your dumplings, and boil for 20 minutes. With practice you won't need to do a test dumpling first. Optionally, use steamer and steam the dumplings for 20 minutes.
9) Serve with melted butter or sauce (like mushroom sauce)
Leftover semmelknoedel can be sliced and fried in butter for breakfast or late night snacks!
[Back to Top]
Rotkraut
Many a meal has had red cabbage as a side dish. Some places use "kohl" instead of "kraut" and in the far south it's "blaukraut" ... pick the one you like best.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3-4 green apples, peeled and sliced or chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 red cabbage head, finely shredded or chopped
1 1/4 cup vinegar mix (this should be red wine vinegar and normal "clear" vinegar to maintain color - don't use "dark" vinegars like Balsamic or it'll ruin the color and make it look like it's rotten or worse)
1 tsp ground clove
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
Regular Directions:
1) Melt butter in a deep walled sauté pan or pot
2) Add apples and onions and sauté lightly
3) Add remaining ingredients
4) Cover and simmer for 1 hour
5) Stir in more sugar (1 tbsp at a time) if necessary to attain a "balance" between the sweet and sour flavors before serving.
Slow Cooker Directions:
In case you have a multi-compartment slow cooker or are not using your slow cooker to cook something else (like sauerbraten) you can also cook Rotkraut in a slow cooker. For a multi-compartment cooker, just add the rotkraut when only 2 hours remain of the cooking of the main dish.
1) Combine ingredients in a slow cooker
2) Cook on High for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally
3) Stir in more sugar (1 tbsp at a time) if necessary to attain a "balance" between the sweet and sour flavors before serving.
[Back to Top]
