Rhineland Sauerbraten

About This Recipe

Sauerbraten is Germany's national pot roast and the Rhineland version is the most celebrated — beef rump or chuck marinated for three to four days in red wine, vinegar, and a small parade of spices (juniper, clove, allspice, bay), then braised low and slow until fork-tender. The gravy is the soul of the dish: thickened not with flour but with crushed Lebkuchen (German gingerbread) or Rheinischer Honigkuchen, sweetened with raisins, and finished with a slick of butter. Sour, sweet, and deeply spiced, sauerbraten arrives at the Sunday table sliced over potato dumplings (Kartoffelklöße) with a mound of red cabbage on the side. It is patient food: the marinade is the work; the cooking is just waiting.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbeef rump roast or chuck (one whole piece)
• 400 mldry red wine
• 300 mlred wine vinegar
• 300 mlwater
• 2 largeonions, sliced (for marinade)
• 2carrots, sliced
• 1 smallcelery stalk, sliced
• 10whole juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 10whole cloves
• 10allspice berries
• 3bay leaves
• 1 tbspblack peppercorns
• 1 tspmustard seeds
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 60 gLebkuchen or Pfefferkuchen (German gingerbread), crumbled
• 60 gdark raisins
• 1 tbspbrown sugar (if needed)
• 30 gcold butter
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the marinade

   In a large nonreactive container, combine red wine, vinegar, water, sliced onions, carrots, celery, juniper, cloves, allspice, bay, peppercorns, and mustard seeds. Submerge the beef. Cover and refrigerate 3–4 days, turning the meat once a day.

2. 2

   Pat dry and strain

   Lift the meat out of the marinade and pat very dry. Strain the marinade, reserving both liquid and the cooked vegetables and spices separately.

3. 3

   Brown the meat

   Heat oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high. Sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 10 minutes total. Lift out.

4. 4

   Build the braising base

   In the same pot, add the strained vegetables. Cook 5 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned. Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Add liquid

   Pour in the strained marinade (about 800 ml) plus a glass of water if needed to almost cover the meat. Return the beef to the pot.

6. 6

   Braise low and slow

   Cover and braise on the lowest heat (or in a 150°C oven) for 2.5–3 hours, until the beef yields easily to a fork.

7. 7

   Rest meat, strain sauce

   Lift the meat onto a warm platter and tent with foil. Strain the braising liquid into a clean saucepan, pressing the vegetables to extract flavor. Skim surface fat.

8. 8

   Build the gravy

   Bring the strained liquid to a brisk simmer. Add crumbled Lebkuchen and raisins. Whisk to dissolve the gingerbread — the sauce will thicken naturally. Simmer 10 minutes. Taste: it should be balanced sour-sweet. Add brown sugar if too sharp. Whisk in cold butter off the heat for gloss.

9. 9

   Slice and serve

   Slice the beef thinly against the grain. Arrange on a warm platter. Ladle gravy generously over the top. Serve with Kartoffelklöße (potato dumplings) and Rotkohl (braised red cabbage).

Variations

• •

  Bavarian sauerbraten: omit the gingerbread and raisins; thicken with flour-water slurry only — drier, more rustic.

• •

  Wild game sauerbraten: substitute venison shoulder; reduce marinade time to 48 hours.

• •

  Berliner sauerbraten: add a splash of dark beer to the braise.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; sauerbraten is famously even better on day two. Freezes 3 months with the gravy.

Frequently Asked Questions