Sauce

For the marinade:

Place the vinegar, water, bay leaves, cloves, celery, carrots, quartered onion, salt and pepper in large plastic container. Add meat and buttermilk and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.

Take meat out of marinade, and pat the meat dry with a towel. Reserve marinating liquid.

In large saute pan add 1/2 chopped onion to 1/2 cup oil, and brown meat on all sides. Cook's note: Ketchup may be used to help this process.

After browning, deglaze pan with red wine and add marinade and beef shoulder. Cook until tender, about 1 hour.

Remove the meat from the pan, let rest for 10 to 15 minutes then slice.

Strain marinade and set aside.

Add the butter to the pan over low heat and when melted add the flour. Whisk until it comes together and bubbles. Slowly add the strained marinade stirring constantly until sauce has thickened. Add 2 tablespoons gravy flavoring for color, and pinch of salt and white pepper.

Now add brown sugar, to taste, until it is sweet, and sour. Stir in the raisins.

Pour sauce over sliced sauerbraten, and serve with red cabbage and spaetzle or dumplings, if desired. Guten Appetite!

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.