Method

Marinade: bring all marinade ingredients to a boil. Cool completely. Place beef in a non-reactive container. Pour cooled marinade over; it must completely submerge the meat. Refrigerate 3–10 days, turning daily. The longer the marinade, the more sour the flavour.
About 5 min
Remove beef; pat dry. Strain and reserve the marinade and vegetables separately.
About 11 min
Brown the beef all over in lard or oil in a Dutch oven. Remove. Fry the reserved vegetables until softened.
About 11 min
Return the beef. Pour the strained marinade over (and a little water if needed to come halfway up). Add sugar and raisins. Bring to a simmer. Cover and braise at 160°C/325°F for 2.5–3 hours until very tender.
About 11 min
Remove the beef and rest it. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan. Simmer and add crumbled gingersnap cookies — they melt into the sauce and thicken it. Simmer 10 minutes until a rich, thick, sweet-sour gravy forms.
About 11 min
Slice the beef and serve with the gingersnap gravy, Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings) or Spätzle and red cabbage.
About 3 min

Nutrition per serving (estimate)