Ingredients
- 1.5 kg beef chuck roast
- 500 ml red wine vinegar
- 500 ml water
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 juniper berries
- 10 black peppercorns
- 90 ml Québec maple syrup
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g butter
- Salt
Method
- Combine vinegar, water, onion, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, juniper, pepper, and 60 ml maple syrup; chill the beef in this marinade for 24–48 hours.
- Drain and dry the beef, reserving the marinade; brown it in a Dutch oven and strain the marinade over it.
- Cover and braise at 160°C for about 3 hours, turning once, until tender.
- Whisk flour into melted butter, stir in 250 ml strained braising liquid, and simmer until thick.
- Return the sauce to the pot, add the remaining maple syrup, season, and serve with potatoes or spaetzle.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 50 g granulated sugar in the marinade
Conversion used: Replace 50 g sugar with 90 ml maple syrup; reduce the marinade water by 60 ml to offset its liquid, and use 15°C lower heat than a 175°C classic oven method.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple adds caramel depth that suits the vinegar-rich sauce while highlighting a Québec pantry product. The substitution avoids refined sugar and uses a locally produced sweetener.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →