Before I give you the recipe for one of the best tasting meals EVER...here's a shot of my little prince with the SIL...Baby Max at LaPush Beach...yes, yes, the very same beach where Bella found out from Jacob that Edward was a vampire! The girl and SIL are FREAKS about the Twilight books...frankly, I'm shocked that Baby Max is not a Baby Edward! Or that Cullen isn't his middle name! He loved the beach as you can see - he is such a happy baby!! It's like he's ON something - his own little happy drug!
Okay, I'll forget about Baby Max for a brief moment...I've got to tell you about this dish...years ago we were invited to the Swanson's home for dinner. Steve, a big macho-man if there ever was one, likes his meat and potatoes...Diana, his dutiful and caring wife provided them...so I knew in advance that our meal would be nothing out of the ordinary...oh how WRONG I was! I'm going back about 16 years here...THAT'S how good it was - I can still remember it! At first it appeared to be a roast with vegetables...but it was so much more than that...the roast melted in my mouth...and the flavor was so rich...the veggies were cooked to perfection and smothered in a thick, zesty gravy...I'm telling you...it was insanely good.
Now, I don't know what Diana Swanson called her recipe - but I'd call it SAUERBRATEN...A German recipe for marinating beef in red wine vinegar or wine and spices - making it SO TENDER - and then cooking it in a Dutch oven until the meat just melts...it's amazing! This is the ultimate Sunday supper...it'll make a believer out of you! The mister said it reminded him of his childhood's Sunday meals...his mom, a blonde-beehive wearing-woman, always cooked a big Sunday supper...it almost brought a tear to my eye except for the fact that the mister dislikes his mother as much as she dislikes him...but do you see the power of this meal? It's so good that one bite gave the mister a happy memory...probably the only happy memory of his life....faint and fleeting as it was!
Sauerbraten - Adapted from Taste of Home, October/November 2008, Patricia Rutherford
1 quart water
2 cups red wine vinegar or red wine
12 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
3 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 (4 lbs.) boneless beef chuck or rump roast
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 package (16 oz.) baby carrots
2 celery ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
In a large bowl, combine the water, vinegar (or wine), cloves, bay leaves, salt and brown sugar. Remove 2 cups to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add roast; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 days, turning twice each day. Discard marinade and spices. Pat roast dry; dredge in flour. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown roast in oil on all sides. Transfer to a small roasting pan or Dutch Oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery and reserved marinade. Cover and bake at 325 for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. With a slotted spoon, remove meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Strain cooking juices; thicken into a gravy if desired. I served baby yellow potatoes along side the roast, I cooked them separately because they would have been mushy if cooked as long as the roast. This recipes serves 6
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