Sauerbraten

4 pounds bottom round
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups cold water
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon black pepper corns, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon juniper berries, coarsely crushed
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard seed
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups onion, diced
1 1/4 cups celery, diced
2 1/2 cups carrots, diced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup water
3/4 cups crushed gingersnap cookies

In a 2-3 quart saucepan, combine red wine, red wine vinegar, 2 cups water, thinly sliced onion, peppercorns, juniper berries, bay leaves, mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Remove from heat cool to room temperature.

Place the meat in a deep glass bowl.  Pour the cooled marinade over the beef  (marinade should go at least half way up the side of the roast, if you need to, add more wine).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 days, turning over the meat a once each day (if not completely covered by the marinade).

To prepare, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry.  Strain the marinade through a fine sieve and reserve the liquid.  Discard the spices and onion.

In a 5 quart dutch oven, heat the 3 tablespoons butter and brown the meat on all sides.  Transfer to a platter and set aside.  Add the onions, carrots and celery to pan and cook over medium heat until soft and lightly browned.  Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly.  Pour in 2 cups of the marinade and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Return the meat to the pot, cover tightly and bake in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours or until tender.

Remove the meat to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm while finishing the sauce. 
Skim any fat off of the surface of the sauce in the pan.  Over medium heat, add the gingersnaps and continue stirring until cookies have dissolved and thickened the sauce.  (At this point, you can press the sauce through a fine sieve to make a smoother sauce, or I like to use an immersion blender and leave the sauce with a chunkier texture).  Slice the roast and pour sauce over slices.