All From Scratch, German Sour Beef Roast with Homemade Red Cabbage and Potato Dumplings

This weekend's theme was: All from scratch.

Marinating the meat takes time. I started this on Tue, so I can cook on Saturday

Potato Dumplings: 

6 large starchier potatoes

1 large egg beaten

1/2 cup of potato starch

a hint of nutmeg (optional)

 

Peal and cut the potatoes and cook in salt water until done and drain. Put it back on the stove and let any remaining water steam off,  watch it, and shake the pot so the potatoes do not burn on the bottom. Turn of the heat.

Press the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl, while they are still hot. Then set aside and let them cool down.

When they are cooled down, mix in the nutmeg, potato starch and the beaten egg. Use your hands to get it all mixed up. Form ball out of the potato dough and set aside. I ended up with 7 dumplings. I like mine about tennis ball size most of the time. Some times I make them larger or smaller. Feel free to use an ice cream scooper to get an even size....

In a really large pot bring salted water to a boil, Then add 1 dumpling with a slotted spoon into the water until all are in the pool. Turn down the heat, so it does not boil. Eventually the dumplings will rise to the top. Then let them sit for 10-20 minutes depending on the size. Just make sure the water does not boil. They will break.

 

Total time needed: including cool down period 4h.

Red Cabbage:

1 small head of red cabbage

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

3/4 of a cup water

1 tbsp of margarine

salt and pepper to taste

2 whole cloves 

1 quarter of a peeled tangy apply, sliced into small pieces

Grade the cabbage in a food processor. I'd like it rather small. Melt the margarine in a pot. Add the cabbage and get it coated with the margarine. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add all of the remaining ingredients, turn the heat down to medium low, cover and cook for about 40 minutes. Check every 10 minutes, that there is still fluid around. If not, just add a little bit of water again.

 Sour Beef Roast

1 piece of beef round roast

2 cup of decent red wine (Cupcake Merlot for example)

1  cup red wine vinegar

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp ground all spice

15 black pepper corns

2 carrots peeled and chopped in large chunks

1 large onion chopped in large chunks

4 cups of water

10 cloves

4 bay leaves

10 Juniper berries (optional)
 

In a pot add everything but the beef and bring it to a boil. Over medium heat, let it simmer for 5 minutes, turn off and let it cool  down to room temperature.

In a glass or ceramic bowl add the mixture and the beef. Make sure the beef is fully covered with fluid. Cover and store in the fridge for 4 days. Turn it over once a day.

 

When ready to cook, Preheat the oven to 360F (180C).

Take the meat out of the marinade. Strain the fluid and set aside.

Salt and pepper the meat from all sides. In a skilled add 1 tsp of margarine in a skillet and sear from all sides. When at the last side, melt 1 tbsp of margarine in a Dutch Oven (DO). Transfer the meat to the Dutch Oven and de-glaze the skillet with a laidl of the fluid. Make sure to catch all of the brown particles, that is where the flavor is. Add this into the dutch oven. Add the remain marinating fluid into the DO and bring to a boil, cover and transfer into the oven. While checking every 20 minutes the fluid level, cook for 2h. Add water if needed. After 2 hours transfer it back to the stove and cook over medium low heat until it almost falls apart.
Transfer the meat to a cutting board and cut into 1" thick slices. 

Bring the fluid back to a boil, add 1/2 cup of buttermilk, season with salt and pepper. Thicken the sauce. I take the easy way out and use Mondamin Soßenbinder. One can get that on Amazon. A mixture of cornstarch and water will do the trick as well.

Serve all 3 together

Real prep time: 30 min, 

Wait for marinating: 4 days

Cooking time: about 3-3.5h 

- Mahlzeit -