German Sauerbraten

Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 lbs beef, lean
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water
5 to 8 cloves, whole
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 onion, large, sliced
5 to 8 mustard seeds
5 to 8 peppercorns, whole
2 tbsp. oil
1 small handful raisins, best if soaked in dark rum
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 piece sweet stuff (i.e. honey cake or Tbsp. sugar)
1 to 2 pinch cloves, ground
1 heaping tsp. corn starch

Directions:
Put vinegar, water, whole cloves, bay leaves, onion slices, mustard seeds and peppercorns into a bowl.

Wash and dry the meat. Put meat into bowl, turn several times, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and store in refrigerator. Let meat marinade in refrigerator for four to six days. Turn meat once a day.

Take meat out of marinade and dry with paper towel. Heat oil in a heavy pot and brown the meat in it on all sides. Add some of the marinade, cover the pot, and let meat simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Take meat out, keep warm. Add some more marinade, as much as you want gravy. Add the raisins, honey cake (or sugar or sweetener - honey cake was used because of the flavor and texture it helped give the gravy), salt, pepper and ground cloves to the gravy, bring to a boil. Dissolve corn starch in 2 Tbsp. cold water, add to gravy, bring to a rolling boil.

Slice meat into 1/4 inch slices and serve. Pour plenty of gravy over the slices on your plate. Sauerbraten goes best with potato dumplings and red cabbage, instead of the dumplings, "Spaetzle" (a special pasta dish) are also excellent with it.