Modern Sauerbraten — Tim Mälzer-Inspired

About This Recipe

This recipe is inspired by Chef Tim Mälzer's robust, modernised approach to German home cooking on his ARD/ZDF series and at Bullerei in Hamburg. Sauerbraten — meaning 'sour roast' — is Germany's classic Sunday roast, requiring a 3-day red wine and vinegar marinade that produces a deeply tender, almost umami-rich braise. The traditional sauce is thickened with crushed gingerbread (Lebkuchen), giving the gravy its characteristic sweet-spicy depth.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbeef bottom round or chuck roast(tied)
• 500 mldry red wine
• 250 mlred wine vinegar
• 250 mlwater
• 2large onions(1 quartered for marinade, 1 chopped for cooking)
• 2carrots(diced)
• 2 stalkscelery(diced)
• 5juniper berries
• 5whole cloves
• 1 stickcinnamon
• 5black peppercorns
• 3bay leaves
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 60 gLebkuchen (German gingerbread)(or 4 ginger biscuits, crushed)
• 30 graisins(optional, traditional)
• 1 tbspsalt
• freshly cracked black pepper(to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate (Day 1–3)

   Combine wine, vinegar, water, quartered onion, half the carrots, half the celery, juniper, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and bay leaves in a non-reactive container. Submerge the beef. Refrigerate AT LEAST 48 hours, ideally 72. Turn once a day.

   The long marinade is the soul of sauerbraten — don't skip it.

2. 2

   Sear the meat

   On day 3, lift the beef from marinade, pat completely dry, and season with salt and pepper. Strain the marinade, reserving liquid. In a heavy Dutch oven, heat the oil and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, 8 minutes total. Remove.

3. 3

   Build the braising liquid

   Add the chopped onion and remaining diced carrots/celery to the pot. Cook 6 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste and toast 90 seconds. Pour in 750ml of the strained marinade — bring to a simmer, scraping up any fond.

4. 4

   Braise low and slow

   Return the beef. Cover and braise in a 160°C / 325°F oven for 2.5–3 hours, turning every 45 minutes, until a fork slides in with no resistance.

5. 5

   Make the gingerbread sauce

   Lift the meat to a board to rest. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, pressing on the solids. Bring to a boil, whisk in the crushed Lebkuchen and raisins. Simmer 8 minutes, whisking, until silky and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

6. 6

   Carve and serve

   Slice the beef across the grain. Arrange on a warm platter. Spoon over the sauce. Serve with rotkohl (red cabbage) and Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) — the classic Sunday combo.

Variations

• •

  Rhineland Style: add raisins and almonds to the sauce — the sweetest regional version.

• •

  Westphalian Style: omit the raisins, use only red wine (no vinegar) — drier, more savoury.

Storage

Improves with age — refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezes excellently for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions