Schweinebraten is a traditional German pork roast, and in many cases, as here, it's cooked with beer which helps make a delicious sauce. The seasonings are simple but the result is a deliciously tender, flavorful main.

slices of Schweinebraten - German pork roast - on plate with red cabbage and dumpling behind

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There's no denying that German cooking has a pretty large amount of pork in it. Even side dishes like German green beans have a little bit of ham in there. But as a favorite meat, it's also one that German cuisine knows how to make the most of it.

This roast is a perfect example. The seasonings on the pork are pretty simple, but they are just enough to add that bit of extra flavor as the pork cooks. With delicious results.

close up of slices of Schweinebraten - German pork roast - topped with gravy

While "Schweinebraten" translates as roast pork, it is arguably semi-braised. Some recipes use broth for this but I use the other common liquid, beer. It somehow feels more "Germanic" and it definitely adds to the flavor.

This dish is traditional to Bavaria in the South of Germany and neighboring Austria. The dark beer sauce from the braising liquid is more typical in Bavaria. It's the kind of dish you might have with family for Sunday dinner with a range of sides. It works well to scale up or down with different sized pieces of meat.

piece of pork with skin scored and rub rubbed into slits

What cut of pork should you use?

This dish can be made with a few different cuts. The most common are neck or shoulder. If you can get a shoulder joint with skin, you can make this with a crispy crust, which is always a bonus.

You can use a leaner cut like loin, but you will need to adjust how you cook it. Loin doesn't need the slower cook to tenderize and instead may become dry, so you are better to cook at a slightly higher heat for less time.

pork in pot with vegetables around ready to cook

Simple seasonings

The seasonings on the meat can vary but tend to be minimal. In some cases, it's simply salt and pepper but also often caraway and sometimes cumin, garlic, mustard or marjoram. Here I kept it relatively simple with some caraway, as such a core Germanic flavor, and garlic since it's never a bad idea.

A classic part of this dish is using vegetables in with the braising liquid. At least onion and carrot are always in there, then additional vegetables can include celery, parsnip or celeriac (celery root).

Primarily, the vegetables are there to add a little extra flavor as the meat cooks, but I do recommend you try eating them as well. Especially when cooked in beer as here, they are wonderfully tender and delicious.

pork in pot with vegetables skin side up part way through cooking

The beer used to cook the meat makes a wonderfully tasty gravy for serving as well. You simply strain off the fat and thicken slightly before serving.

What to serve with this tasty pork

The classic sides for this are Sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) or Krautsalat (coleslaw). You'll also typically have this with Semmelknödel (bread dumplings) and/or Erdäpfelknödeln (potato dumplings) which are great for soaking up the gravy.

Here rather than sauerkraut or coleslaw, I served red cabbage which while maybe slightly less popular is still another common choice (and really good, too). Instead of dumplings, you could opt for some bread, spaetzle, schupfnudeln (potato noodles) or mashed potato. All while less traditional would be just as good at soaking that flavor in the sauce.

plate of Schweinebraten - German pork roast - with sides on plate and rest of roast on board behind

Schweinebraten is a delicious German pork roast that makes a wonderfully flavorful main as part of a comforting meal. It would be perfect for an Oktoberfest celebration, but equally good really any time you choose.

Try these other traditional German dishes:

Beef rouladen (beef rolls with bacon, mustard and pickles)
Sauerbraten (a beef roast that has a wine marinade)
Pflaumenkuchen (German plum cake - arguably more of a bar but delicious)
Dampfnudel (a sweet dumpling served with vanilla sauce as a dessert)
Plus get more German recipes in the archives.

plate of Schweinebraten - German pork roast with red cabbage and dumpling

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