Sour Kidneys ('Saure Nierle')

Soak the kidneys:

Place the kidney slivers in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Leave them to soak for half an hour. Then, replace the water and leave them to soak for another 30 minutes. Drain the water again and soak them for another 30 minutes in plenty of water to which you add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Drain the kidneys and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Cook the sauce:

Heat the lard in a saucepot over medium heat. Add the flour and sugar stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook the paste until brown but not burnt, about 4-5 minutes. Slowly whisk in your beef broth stirring constantly. Then, add the red wine vinegar along with the juniper berries, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and let the sauce cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper and salt. Optionally, pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the spices and smooth out the texture. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Fry the kidneys:

It's best to fry the kidneys in two batches in a large nonstick saute pan. Heat 1 tablespoon of lard on the highest setting your burner will go. Add the kidneys and cook them for about 3-4 minutes, or until just cooked through. They will leak a lot of water, so don't be surprised if they steam more than fry. Discard all the water that came out of the kidneys and set them aside. Continue to fry the second batch in the same way. Season the kidneys with salt to taste.

Serve the sour kidneys:

Add the kidney slivers to your lightly simmering sauce and stir well to combine. Serve immediately together with the side dish of your choice. Most commonly, they are eaten with bread, spätzle, or pan-fried potatoes.