Dinner: Sunday Night: Sauerbraten

After a long hot summer, all I crave is fall. So when the temperature dropped into the 60s this past Sunday, I made a Sauerbraten, the perfect fall dish.

The best Sauerbraten recipe is my mother-in-law's, but I wanted to test something new--a recipe from Bobby Flay. I don't normally cook Bobby Flay recipes. I'm not going to lie; I don't really like Bobby Flay. He seems shady to me. I'm sure he's a great guy, but I'm a Jamie Oliver kind of girl. But I found this fantastic recipe for Sauerbraten from his Nana, and I had to try it.

And it was awesome! Seriously awesome! However, I actually like my mother-in-law's recipe better. Maybe it's just because it's our family recipe. I don't know. But I would make Bobby Flay's again. I just think I wouldn't have a couple of absinthe drinks while it was simmering for three hours (Happy 21st, SEM! Love you, girl!) However, I will braise cabbage to go with Sally's recipe; that cabbage was RAD!

Sally's Old World Sauerbraten

Ingredients:

1 (3-4 lb) chuck roast

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 c. vinegar

1/2 t. ginger

1 c. water

3 bay leaves

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 t. thyme

1 t salt

2 onions, thinly sliced

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. butter

4-5 whole cloves

Directions:

Brown roast in butter. Add onions and brown. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over the roast. Simmer on the stovetop for 3 hours or in a slowcooker for 6 hours. If you desire, thicken sauce with flour. Serve with egg noodles.

(This is a fabulous make-ahead dish for a busy week! Check out FD's tasty sandwich he made for lunch: pumpernickel, sauerbraten, cabbage, hot mustard, & gravy.)