Two to three days before serving, wipe the meat with a damp cloth,
then place in a large plastic bag.In a large bowl, thoroughly
combine vinegar, Coca-Cola, water,onions, celery, carrots, pepper,
cloves, bay leaves, sugar and salt; pour over meat.Fasten bag
tightly and lay flat in a 9" X 13" pan.Refrigerate, turning bag
each day. (If you like sour sauerbraten, let marinate for 4 days.)
When ready to cook, remove meat (saving marinade) and dry well.Rub
the surface lightly with flour. In a Dutch oven, heat oil and slowly
brown the meat well on all sides. Add 1 cup of the marinade liquid
plus some of the vegetables and bay leaves. Cover tightly and simmer
on surface heat or in a preheated 350oF oven for 3 to 4 hours until
the meat is fork tender.If needed, add more marinade during the
cooking time to keep at least 1/2 inch liquid in the Dutch oven.
Remove the meat and keep warm until ready to slice. Into a large
measuring cup, strain the drippings.Add several ice cubes and let
stand for a few minutes until the fat separates out. Remove the fat,
then make the gravy. TO MAKE THE GRAVY: In the Dutch oven, combine
the gravy ingredients, stir and cook for about 5 minutes over medium
heat until gravy has thickened. Taste for seasonings and adjust if
necessary.This makes about 3 cups of gravy. From: "International
Cooking with Coca-Cola", a give away pamphlet from The Coca-Cola
Company, 1981.
