Louisiana-Style Venison Sauerbraten

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Sauerbraten is one of those old-world dishes brought to Louisiana by the Germans in the 18th and 19th centuries. Once settled in Louisiana, they altered the recipe slightly by using cubed meat rather than whole roast. One of the unique features of sauerbraten is that the sauce is thickened prior to serving by adding crushed gingersnaps instead of making a roux. It may sound a bit odd, but the result is a wonderful tasting sweet and sour venison dish.

Prep Time: 3 Hours

Yields: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

5 pounds venison round roast, cubed

2½ cups water

1½ cups red wine vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp salt

¼ tsp ginger

10 whole cloves

6 bay leaves

6 whole peppercorns

1 purple onion, peeled and sliced

2 lemon slices

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced celery

1 cup sliced carrots

1 tbsp minced garlic

¼ cup sliced green onions

Beef or chicken stock, optional

1 cup broken ginger snap cookies

¼ cup raisins

Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Hot buttered noodles

½ cup chopped parsley

Method:

In a crock pot or large bowl, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger, cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, sliced onions, and lemons. Stir well then mix in cubed venison. Coat meat well with marinade and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, celery, carrots, minced garlic, and green onions to the pot and sauté 3–5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Remove meat from the marinade, reserve the marinade and set aside. Add meat to the pot and cook until browned. Pour in reserved marinade, bring to a rolling boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Allow meat to cook for approximately 2 hours, checking occasionally for tenderness. If necessary, use additional beef or chicken stock to flavor the sauce. When done, remove meat from the liquid and set aside. Stir in ginger snaps and raisins and cook until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Return meat to pot and blend well into the mixture. Serve over hot noodles and garnish with parsley.

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