7 To make a sauce in which to put a haunch of venison

This is quite the hit with everyone I’ve served it too. People have taken to calling this sauce “The Universal Sauce” since it goes well with everything.

Armstrong’s translation:
Lard it well and roast it and make a good sauce for it. Take Reinfal and stir cherry syrup into it, and fry Lebkuchen in fat and chop good sweet apples, almonds, cloves, cinnamon sticks, ginger, currants, pepper and raisins and let it all cook together. When you want to serve it, then pour the sauce over it. It is also for marinating a boar’s head. Then cook it in two parts water and one third vinegar. The head of a pig is also made in this manner.

The Roast: Cooked in the manner of a head of pig

Cook a pork shoulder roast in a large pot, covered with two parts water and one part cider vinegar. Add chunks of dried ginger (not candied), whole cloves, cinnamon stick and kosher salt to taste.

Simmer for 2-3 hours, depending on roast size, until meat is soft and falling off the bones.

The Sauce

1 c  White German Wine (I used Spatlese)

1/3 cup cherry juice concentrate

1 1/2 cup water

2 T butter

1/2 c Lebkuchen crumbs (recipe 164)

3 large apples (2 Galas and 1 Granny Smith), peeled, cored and choped

1/2 cup almond silvers

1/4 t ground cloves

1/8 t pepper

1 t ground ginger

1 t cinnamon

1/2 c currants

1/2 c raisins

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan, and fry the lebkuchen crumbs in it. Add the apples and sauté until slightly soft. Add the almonds, wine and cherry syrup.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer and stir for several hours, then turn off heat and allow to cool to with lid on.