Maybe we’ve gone too far? Over the last two days, Martin has eaten one pound of beef, in the form of sauerbraten made by “Aunt Coleen,” his visiting chef. Coleen modified her sauerbraten recipe (removing juniper berries and ginger snaps, for example) to fit Martin’s dietary requirements, as follows:

1 lb. beef (stew chunks or top round)
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp cloves
2 tbsps fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup coconut crystals
arrowroot powder as needed

Whisk together vinegar, water, spices, and ginger to create marinade. Cut beef into bite-size chunks, combine with marinade in an airtight glass container and marinate for one-to-three days in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the oven to 325°. Add the coconut crystals to the marinated meat and mix well.

Brown the meat in the marinade in a cast-iron or stainless-steel pan. Transfer to a glass casserole, cover, and cook two hours in pre-heated oven. Remove bay leaves, cloves, and seeds from juices, then stir arrowroot into the sauce until you reach the desired thickness.

Coleen observes that, to feed vegetarian me and Adrian along with Martin, I can make this recipe with double the marinade and use the extra marinade with tempeh or, especially, seitan: two separate batches of food for my mixed vegetarian-and-non-vegetarian family.

This sauerbraten is reasonably sugar-intense, given the coconut crystals, and the arrowroot adds starch. Try to minimize those ingredients as possible—and perhaps keep your child from eating the entire recipe in two sittings?