Traditional Sauerbraten is made with distilled vinegar and sugar.  I am not a fan of either one of those ingredients.   So here is our version called BeerBraten. 

4 cups (approx) of your local favorite craft beer (use what you like not what a recipe calls for)

1 medium onion chopped

2 large carrots chopped

1 tsp mustard seeds

10 juniper berries

1 tablespoon cooking oil 

4-5 lbs of beef bottom flats, cut into 3-4 inch thick cross slabs

2 tablespoons water

¼ cup arrowroot

1. In a thick bottomed sauté pan heat oil and brown beef on both sides
2. Let beef cool and layer in a container alternating with onions, carrots, mustard seeds.
3. Top the beef off with enough beer to cover.  Let marinade for three days.
4. Place the beef and all the marinade in thick braising pan with a tight fitting lid for four hours on 325F. Cook beef until it is tender.
5. Remove beef from marinade.  Place marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. Mix water and arrowroot.  Slowly drizzle arrowroot in boiling marinade while whisking.
7. Slice the beef and serve with sauce. 

You may strain the vegetables and spices.  I prefer to leave them in.

It is traditional to thicken sauerbraten with crushed ginger snaps.  But I try to avoid refined flour and sugar.  That is the reason for using arrowroot. 

 It can also be a tradition to add currant jelly or a dried fruit like a raisin.  If you are using vinegar, which I am not, then sugar and dried fruit will balanace the dish.  But with beer there is less acid to balance.  But if you need to balance I suggest dried black mission figs.  Add them at the step five.  Let the sauce cool and then blend them in.

 To avoid arrowroot you can add a couple of potatoes and purée to thicken. Depending on how thick you want the sauce you can reduce to slightly thicken as well.