Eclectic Saurbraten

Preparation : Advance preparation -- 1 to 2 weeks ahead: Trim the meat of as much fat as possible. It using a rolled roast, cut the strings to get at the fat and retie the roast afterwards. Use a one gallon zip-lock freezer bag to marinate the meat and you won't have to keep turning the roast. Tie the peppercorns, cloves and juniper berries in a cheesecloth bag so that they can easily retrieved. Put half of the chopped vegetables in the freezer bag with the bagged spices, cinnamon sticks, thyme and bay leaves. Place the meat in the bag, top with the remaining vegetables and pour in the wine and vinegar. Seal the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Place the bag in a bowl. If necessary, stuff empty spaces in the bowl with wadded up newspaper to force the marinade to cover the meat. Refrigerate for at least one week -- two weeks is be better. Cooking -- 3 to 6 hours before serving: Strain and reserve the marinade from the meat and vegetables. Pick out and reserve the bay leaves, Discard the bagged spices and cinnamon sticks. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Heat the oil over high heat in a heavy casserole just large enough to hold the meat. Brown the meat in the oil on all sides and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegetables from the marinade and cook until just soft -- 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar. Place the meat on the vegetables. Add the reserved marinade and three of the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and place in a preheated 350: oven for one and a half hours. Add the ginger snaps and continue cooking in the oven for an additional 30 to 45 minutes until the meat is tender. Remove the roast from the casserole and set aside. Skim any accumulated fat from the juices. Spoon the vegetables and some of the juices into a food processor or blender and puree them. Return the vegetables to the casserole and bring the sauce to a boil. Stir the flour into the sour cream and then whisk into the sauce. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning and correct with salt, pepper, sugar or even vinegar. The sauce should be spicy, sweet and sour. Return the roast to the casserole and keep warm until serving time. Serving: Remove the roast and carve into serving slices. Serve the meat napped with a little sauce. Pass the remaining sauce at the tabl