SWEET & SOUR RED CABBAGE (#23)

I just published the recipe for German Sauerbratten that I made for some 8 years for a German Camp that a friend Don Strother had while teaching German.  Along with that dish I always made the following recipe of  "sweet & sour red cabbage" to accompany the entree.  You may wish to try it as it is very good not just with sauerbratten but German Schnitzel, pork, bratwurst etc.  Hope you will try it!

INGREDIENTS:
    9 slices of thick bacon (Sugardale is great)
    1/2 cup cider vinegar
    1 medium large red cabbage finely sliced
    2 apples peeled and diced
    1 small onion peeled & diced
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    2 tbl flour
    1 cup water
    1/2 tsp pepper
    1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

    1. fry bacon in a large fry pan; when
        nicely browned put into a heavy soup
        pot & add vinegar, water,sugar, apples,
        pepper,salt & flour
    2.  cook slowly using a defuser (a defuser is a thin
         pie shaped round double metal utencil with a lot
         of small holes in both sides that you can find in a
         good hardware store) place  in between flame
         and the pot and cook about 2 hours on a low burner-
         make sure that the liquid doesn't go dry as it will burn
         the cabbage
    3. serves 4 to 6 persons or more
ENJOY

   

   
 

ORIGINAL REAL GERMAN SAUERBRATEN ASHTON STYLE (#22)

For eight years I cooked and served German Sauerbraten to some 125 students and teachers for a three day German Camp that my friend Don Strother, who taught German, held during those years.  The response to this roast beef that was cured in a brine mixture for 3 or 4 days was always very positive.  Besides the Sauerbraten and mashed potatoes,  a sweet and sour red cabbage was also part of the meal and German strudel for dessert.  Originally, the Germans used venison for this dish.  As I understand the use of brine and wine was to mask the gamey taste that was present in the meat due to a lack of refridgeration.  The following reicpe is a "Ashton" variation that I believed inhanced the flavor of the dish.  You may wonder why I use Ruinte wine?  This sparkling wine adds a flavor that regular wine would not obtain and I urge you to try it!

INGREDIENTS:
5 or 6 lb sirloin tip roast
2 bottles of Ruinite red wine or 1 large bottle ( half is used for the brine and the other half for cooking the roast)
1 cup cider vinegar
4 cups water
4 onions peeled & sliced (2 for the brine and 2 for cooking the meat)
3 tbl whole alspice
1/2 cup salt
5 whole carrots
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 or 4 ginger snap cookies (crushed)

DIRECTIONS:
1 In a large soup pot, mix together 750 ml Ruinite red wine, vinegar, water, onions, alspice and salt
2. place roast in brine and soak meat 4 days turning meat each day
& 3. remove roast and in a large fry pan brown 2 sliced onions and roast
4. in the large soup pot put roast, onions, carrots, 2 cups of red wine, 1 1/2 cups of brine mixture and cook at 300 degrees in a pre heated oven and cook for about 2 hours turning meat every so often until all sides are browned and meat is done additional 1/2 hour
6. sprinkle meat with sugar and roast about 10 minutes more
7. mix a paste of a cup of  flour & a 1/2 cup of  water and then add a additional cup of  more water and stir into drippings to make          a gravy for meat and potatoes
8. slice this roast in thin slices with a electric knive and this delicious roast will serve 6 to 8 people or more
ENJOY