I once knew a guy who had been a professional chef earlier in his life. I don't remember the reason he gave for quitting, but I do know he had some really good recipes. This is one of my favorites (rewritten to be easier to read).
Strangely enough, we were friends even though we were on opposite ends of damn near every spectrum: he was a staunch conservative, I was pretty firmly liberal; he was a devout Christian, I was an agnostic deist (I hadn't accepted my atheism at that point), the list goes on. About the only things we had in common were loves of Go, food, and old music and comedy movies.
He ended up moving to Honduras to work as a missionary.
-- Benjamin Geiger
Sauerbraten[]
Top sirloin or bottom round roast
Cider vinegar and water (1:1) (to cover roast)
Salt (1 tbsp)
Sugar (2 tbsp)
Peppercorns, whole (6)
Cloves (12)
Bay leaves (6)
Medium onions, sliced (2)
Lemon, sliced (1/2)
Oil or butter (to brown roast)
Ginger snaps (6)
Flour, sifted (3/4 cup)
Cold water (1 cup)
Instructions:
Place roast in bowl. Cover with a 1:1 mixture of cider vinegar and water. Add salt, sugar, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, onions, and lemon.
Marinate for three days. (Yes, three days.)
Remove meat from marinade. Drain, save liquid.
Add oil or butter to Dutch oven. Brown roast on all sides.
Add reserved liquid and ginger snaps to Dutch oven. Cover and simmer until tender (2-3 hours).
Brown flour lightly in pie pan in broiler. Combine browned flour with 1 cup cold water and add to drippings. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Strain gravy. Serve.
Yield is according to size of roast.