I often make a recipe and wonder, “How did someone come up with this?” My easy sauerbraten is a great example. It’s a delicious and tender roast, but the ingredients are a bit strange, like pickling spices and gingersnap cookies. It’s an old German recipe passed down for generations and one my family loves. The name means “sour roast,” but after simmering all day, the meat is fall-apart tender, and the gravy cooks up thick and is full of tangy sweetness. So, while the name and ingredients may seem strange, the result is a delicious dish.

Belle’s Easy Sauerbraten

2 cups ketchup)

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices

3 bay leaves

1 boneless beef chuck roast or rump roast (3-4 pounds)

4 cups water

1 ½ cups finely crushed gingersnap cookies

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

Mix first six ingredients. Place roast in the slow cooker and add the 4 cups of water. Pour the ketchup mixture over the top. Sprinkle with the cookie crumbs. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 6-8 hours.

Remove roast from slow cooker; keep warm. Transfer 4 cups of the cooking juices to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix the cornstarch and the ¼ cup of water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Return to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Serve over the roast.

Brenda Stanley is the mother of five children, including two sets of twins, and a grandmother of eight. She is a cookbook author and novelist. For more recipes and information, visit her website www.talesofthedinnerbelle.com.