Danish Boiled Beef With Sweet And Sour Horseradish Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 lbs lean beef brisket
10 -12 black peppercorns, whole
5 carrots, peeled and halved
2 onions, peeled and quartered
4 -5 stalks celery, with their leaves
2 leeks, white part only
salt, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vinegar, white or 2 teaspoons apple cider
3 -4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons horseradish, grated (not creamed)
1/2 pint sour cream
coarse salt

Preparation

Prepare the vegetables by peeling and halving the carrots, halving the celery stalks, and halving and rinsing the leeks in several changes of water to remove grit.
Wipe the meat with a damp, clean cloth.
Place in a large soup or stock pot and cover with cold water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming and disposing of the foam off of the surface with a wire mesh strainer until no more foam rises to the top.
Place the peppercorns in a stainless steel tea diffuser or a cheesecloth bag.
Add the peppercorns, vegetables, and salt to the kettle, cover and simmer very slowly for about 3 hours or until the meat is quite tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak the raisins or currants in water to cover.
When cooked, transfer the meat to a warm serving platter and cover to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.
Remove and dispose of the peppercorns.
Strain the stock through a large wire sieve reserving both the stock and the vegetables.
Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor and set aside.
Drain and chop the raisins/currants.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the vinegar, brown sugar, and chopped raisins.
Bring to a slow boil and cook over moderately low heat about 3 minutes.
Add the mustard, horseradish and about 1 1/2 cups of the reserved stock (save the remaining stock for another use).
Bring to a rapid boil and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
Remove from the heat and taste for seasoning.
Whisk in the sour cream.
Slice the brisket across the grain (for tenderness) into thin slices.
Spoon some of the sauce over the center of the meat.
Pass the remaining sauce and coarse salt at the table.