Sauerbraten

Sauerbraten is far from your typical pot roast, though it’s might be described as one. This traditional German dish takes a bit more prep, but there’s such depth of flavor. Comforting deliciousness!

When I was a student, I spent a few months in Germany and a few in Russia. While I’m not sure that the South of Russia was the most comfortable place to be in the summer, Germany was at least a good choice for winter. For one, it wasn’t as crazily cold as for friends who were in Siberia. But also, there was a lot to enjoy about Germany in winter, particularly when it came to food.

I loved that we sometimes just had to find an excuse to warm up with a glass of gluhwein (mulled wine) on a cold day. And as it got closer to Christmas, the glass generally came with a slice of stollen. But we also enjoyed some delicious plates of sausages with braised red cabbage and other classics like jaegerschnitzel and sauerbraten. 

What is sauerbraten?

Sauerbraten is a kind of German pot roast. It’s that bit different from an American-style roast as the meat is first marinated in a spiced wine and vinegar liquid before roasting. It is most commonly made with beef but can also be made with venison and other meats as well.

You could almost argue that the meat is pickled, as many recipes use pickling spices to infuse the marinating liquid, which is also very acidic. In fact the name sauerbraten comes from the German words “sauer” meaning “sour” and “braten” meaning “roast meat”.

But maybe even more unusual is the finishing touch to this dish. Ginger snap cookies are crumbled into the gravy! It might sound odd, I know, but the sweetness takes the edge off the acidity and adds a smoothness and depth to the sauce as well.

How to make sauerbraten

• Put the herbs and spices for the bouquet garni in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it shut.
• Pour the wine, vinegar and water in a pan and add the bouquet garni, bay leaf, salt and sliced onion. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn off heat and let it cool.
• Pat dry the beef and put in a non-reactive ceramic or glass dish big enough to also hold the marinade liquid but have meat largely submerged.
• Pour the cooled marinade over the meat, cover and refrigerate. Leave to marinade for 3 to 5 days, turning once or twice a day.
• When ready to cook, remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Preheat oven to 350F/175C.
• Melt butter in a Dutch oven and brown the meat on all sides. Add the carrot and onion and soften them slightly.
• Add the flour, stir, then pour in the marinade liquid (just the liquid, not the additional onions). Bring to a simmer, cover then put in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender.
• Remove the meat from the pan, tent with foil to keep warm and set aside. 
• Put the Dutch oven on the stove on a medium heat, add the crushed ginger snap cookies and remaining butter and stir. Let the sauce reduce slightly then either strain or blend to make it relatively smooth.
• Slice the meat and serve with the sauce poured over the top.

I appreciate this might seem like a lot of steps, and you do obviously need to plan ahead since there is marinading time, but believe me, it’s still not difficult to make and is worth the effort! 

You can see how it comes together in the short video!

While I’ve had this a few times when I lived in Germany, I didn’t have a hand-me-down recipe so instead I’ve dug around to get more or less what feels best. What I came up with here is largely drawn on this Saveur recipe and this The Spice House recipe. You can use pickling spices instead of making a bouquet garni, as I did. This is pretty common, but both I for one don’t tend to have that mix hanging around, plus the contents can vary.

With a wonderfully comforting richness to it, sauerbraten is a tender and flavor-packed roast. It’s perfect for the cooler months, as part of an Oktoberfest celebration or really any excuse you want to find. So grab your ingredients and give it a try!

Looking for more dishes to get in the Oktoberfest spirit? Try these!

• German pancake soup (Flädlesuppe)
• Obatzda (German beer cheese dip)
• Jaegerschnitzel (pork chops with mushroom sauce)
• Plus get more ideas in the German recipes archives.

You might want to try serving this with some speckbohnen (German green beans), braised red cabbage with apples and/or spaetzle.

I use my Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Oval French Oven to make this dish which works perfectly (affiliate link).

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