Recipe: sauerbraten with red cabbage

Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage
Marinade
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup Burgundy wine*
2 onions, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
2 whole allspice
4 whole cloves
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 (4 pound) rump or boned chuck pot roast
All-purpose flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Red Cabbage
1 medium head red cabbage
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tart red cooking apples
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

In large bowl, mix 1 cup vinegar, wine, onion, carrot, celery, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. Wipe meat with damp paper towels. Place in marinade, refrigerate, covered 2 days, turning occasionally.

Remove meat from marinade. Reserve marinade. Dry meat on paper towels. Coat with 2 tablespoons of flour. In hot oil in Dutch oven, over medium heat, brown meat all over, turning with a wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes. Add marinade, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer covered 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until tender.

Meanwhile, prepare cabbage. Discard outer leaves, quarter cabbage, remove core. Shred cabbage. Measure 10 cups. In large skillet, combine with salt, butter, vinegar, sugar, 1/2 cup water, cook covered over medium heat, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Core apples, but do not pare. Slice apples thin, then stir into cabbage. Set aside until just before serving.

When meat is fork-tender, remove from Dutch oven. Press liquid and vegetables through coarse sieve; skim off fat. Measure 3 1/2 cups liquid (add water if needed).

Return liquid to Dutch oven. Mix 2 tablespoons flour with 1/3 cup cold water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir into liquid, bring to boiling, stirring. Stir in gingersnaps. Return meat to the Dutch oven. Spoon the gravy over it, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Cook cabbage and apples 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Cook and stir until thickened. Cabbage is tender, but crisp. Remove meat and cabbage to hot platter.

Serve with German Spaetzle. Pour some of gravy over it. Serve meat, thinly sliced, with gravy.

Serves 6 to 8.