Recipe - Sauerbraten - With Coke

4 pound Roast beef, sirloin tip,
rump, round bone chuck,
preferably boneless
1 One half cup Vinegar
1 cup COCACOLA
Three fourths cup Water
3 md Onions, cut or sliced up
2 md Stalks celery, cut or sliced up
2 md Carrots, cut or sliced up
10 Whole black peppercorns
10 Whole cloves
3 md Bay leaves
2 tablespoon Sugar
1 One half teaspoon Salt
Flour
3 tablespoon Oil, or shortening

GRAVY
3 cup Drippings, plus
Strained marinade
5 tablespoon Flour
5 tablespoon Ginger snap crumbs

Two (2) to four (4) days before serving, wipe the meat with a damp cloth,
then place in a large plastic bag. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the
vinegar, CocaCola, water, onions, celery, carrots, pepper, cloves, bay
leaves, sugar, and salt and pour over meat. Fasten bag tightly and lay flat
in a 13 x 9inch pan. Refrigerate, turning bag each day. (If you like a
sour sauerbraten, let meat marinate 4 days.) When ready to cook, remove
meat (saving marinade) and dry well. Rub the surface lightly with flour. In
Dutch oven, heat oil or shortening and slowly brown the meat well on all
sides. Add 1 cup of the marinade liquid plus some of the vegetables and
bay leaves. Cover tightly and simmer on surface heat or in a preheat, 350 F
oven for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is forktender. If needed, add more
marinade during cooking to keep at least 1/2inch liquid in the Dutch oven.
Remove the meat and keep warm until ready to slice. Into a large measuring
cup, strain the drippings. Add several ice cubes and let stand a few
minutes until the fat separates out. Remove fat, then make gravy. TO MAKE
THE GRAVY: In the Dutch oven, combine the gravy ingredients, stir and cook
about 5 minutes over medium heat until gravy is thickened. Taste for
seasonings. Makes 3 cups of gravy. Makes 8 servings.