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Market Stall · Sour Beef Stew

Zoervleisch

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It's deliberately cooked with a sharp vinegar tang and a touch of sweetness from apple syrup or gingerbread, giving it a distinctive sweet-and-sour edge unusual in Dutch cooking.

Beef is marinated for days in vinegar and spices, then slow-braised with onions and thickened, sometimes with crumbled gingerbread (ontbijtkoek), until it turns dark and richly sour-sweet. Limburg market stalls and eateries ladle it over fries as a filling, tangy plate.

Why it's made this way: The long vinegar marinade was originally a way to tenderize and preserve tougher cuts of meat before refrigeration existed.
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Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.