Sauerbraten
This is wonderful served with potato pancakes or potato dumplings and red cabbage.
1 boneless rump roast (about 4 pounds)
4 cups water
2 cups red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon mixed pickling spices
24 crushed gingersnaps (1 1/2 cups crumbs)
Trim meat of all but a thin layer of fat. Place in a large glass bowl. Add water, vinegar, sugar, onion, celery, salt, pepper and pickling spices to bowl, stirring to mix. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 4 or 5 days, turning meat each day.
Remove meat from marinade; reserve marinade; pat meat dry with paper toweling. Heat shortening in Dutch oven. Brown meat on all sides (about 15 minutes).
Remove fat from pan. Pour marinade over meat. Roast uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Cover; continue roasting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours longer, or until meat is tender.
Remove meat to platter. Strain marinade; remove fat and return marinade to pan. Stir in gingersnap crumbs. Heat until thickened; strain again.
Slice meat and serve with gravy.
Pork Chops with Knockwurst (Schweinskoteletten mit Knackwurst und Kortoffeln)
4 pork loin or rib chops, about 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 sweet pickles, finely chopped
6 ounces knockwurst, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons caraway seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup water
3 potatoes, sliced 1/8-inch thick
Trim excess fat from pork. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet until hot. Cook pork over medium heat until brown on both sides, about 15 minutes; remove pork.
Cook and stir onion, carrot, celery, pickles and knockwurst in skillet until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
Arrange pork on vegetable mixture; sprinkle with caraway seed, salt and pepper. Pour water over pork. Arrange potato slices on top. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until pork and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes.
Garnish with minced parsley or chives if desired.
Yields 4 servings.
Maraschino Cherry and Pineapple Strudel Filling
Strudel Dough
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1 cup seeded raisins
1 cup walnuts, ground
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, cut fine
Pear Bread (Switzerland)
2 cups scalded milk
3 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup fat
2 cups water
3 packages active dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
3 pounds raisins
2 pounds dried pears
2 pounds currants
1 to 2 tablespoons anise powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Flour
Combine scalded milk, sugar, salt, fat and water. Cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in the lukewarm water. Stir in the yeast and enough flour to make a sponge dough. Add the fruit and enough flour to make a dough that will not stick to the board. Put into a bowl and let rise until double.
Shape into loaves and let rise again until double. Bake at 225 degrees F about 2 hours.
Peanut Confection (Erdnusskonfekt)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup milk or light cream
2/3 cup peanuts, toasted, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar and milk or cream. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer until it forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water (soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer).
Remove the pan from the heat, and beat the mixture until it is thick and creamy. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt, and stir them into the mixture. Turn the mixture out onto a buttered baking sheet. Let it cool until it is just warm to the touch before cutting it into 1-inch squares.
Old Berlin Castle Punch
This is from the Rhine district.
Dissolve two pounds of sugar in a quart of water. Place in granite saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add 2 bottles Rhine wine, keeping below the boiling point. Soak a lump of sugar in brandy and ignite it, holding it in a spoon over the pan. Then slowly pour a pint of good rum over the burning sugar and into the pan. Serve piping hot.
Mushroom Salad
1 pound mushrooms
1 medium onion
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 dill pickle, diced
3 to 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Pinch of sugar
Slice mushrooms thinly and chop onion finely. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan and add mushrooms and onions. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes to soften slightly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
When mushrooms and onions have completely cooled, add parsley, dill pickle and tomatoes.
Mix together 4 tablespoons oil, the sugar, salt and pepper and pour over the other ingredients. Stir gently to coat evenly and allow to stand for 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Kohlrouladen (Cabbage Roll-Ups)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 slices bread
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup ketchup
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Pinch of summer savory
Cabbage
Mix the beef and pork in a bowl. Soak the bread slices in the milk and shred. Mix with the meat, onions, and most of the ketchup, reserving 2 tablespoons. Bbreak in the eggs and season. Mix well together.
Drop 6 to 8 cabbage leaves into boiling, salted water and cook until tender. Remove; fill with meat mixture, roll up, and fasten with wooden picks. Place in greased casserole, cover, and bake at 400 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours.