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1
Begin this recipe three days before you plan to serve it.
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2
Place beef, vegetables, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a large bowl.
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3
Bring wine, water, salt, and pepper to a boil and pour over beef.
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4
Cover and refrigerate 3 days, turning beef in marinade twice a day.
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5
About 3 hours before you're ready to serve, remove beef from marinade and pat dry with paper toweling; reserve marinade.
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6
Brown beef well in oil in a large kettle over moderate heat, about 15 minutes.
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7
(Note: If bones brown before meat, remove temporarily.
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8
).
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9
Add marinade, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 hours, turn meat, re-cover, and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer until tender; transfer to a large platter and keep warm.
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10
Strain marinade and discard vegetables; scoop marrow from bones, sieve, and add to marinade.
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11
Heat 1/2 cup margarine in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, blend in flour and brown 1 to 2 minutes.
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12
Stir in marinade, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until thickened.
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13
Mix in gingersnaps and sugar to taste.
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14
Carve meat at the table - not too thin or slices will crumble - and serve with plenty of gravy.
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15
Or carve in the kitchen, arrange slices slightly overlapping on a platter, and pour some of the gravy down the center; pass the rest.
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16
Serve with Potato Dumplings, Spaetzle, or boiled potatoes.
