Marinade For Sauerbraten: Wash the beef, dry it with a paper towel. Score fatty parts. Put the beef into a china (or ceramic or glass) bowl. Bring water with vinegar and spices to a boil, pour it hot over the beef (the beef must be completely covered), and stir well. Keep covered and cool for 3-4 days and turn the meat at least two times a day.

Sauerbraten:

After the 3-4 days of marinating: Take the beef off the marinade, drain well. Pour the marinade through a fine sieve.

** If you prefer a gamy taste: (from an old German Sauerbraten recipe) - use lard instead of margarine - and sour cream instead of sweet cream - and add a lot of onions - and some dried juniper berries.

Heat margarine and brown the beef from all sides. That will take you about 15 minutes.

Add broth, dry wine and three tablespoons (not more) of the marinade. Cover and stew for 90 minutes.

Crumble the German black bread and add it only 10 minutes before the end of stewing time.

Put the beef on a chopping board and cut it into 1/2 inch slices - cut transverse to the fibre. Keep it warm.

Gravy: Sieve the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature. Mix flour and cream in a cup until they are well-mixed and free of lumps. Stir the mixture into the stock and keep the gravy boiling for 5 minutes. Wash the raisins in very hot water, drain and add them to the gravy. Wait 3 minutes. Salt to taste.

Pour a little gravy over the Sauerbraten, serve the rest apart.

(Do not omit the raisins, they are indispensable if you want to make a really good Sauerbraten - you are not forced to eat them, but they should be in the gravy.)

Apple Puree (to be served at room temperature, not ice-cold, with the hot Sauerbraten):

Peel, quarter and core the apples, boil them in water with lemon juice, add some sugar, mash the apples. Cool well. Before serving add some further sugar to taste, the puree should be sweet)

Serve with boiled red cabbage and steamed barm dumplings.