Sauerbraten
The German pot roast with a three-day head start: beef marinated in wine, vinegar and spices, braised tender, in a sauce thickened with gingersnaps.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 3 h
- total
- 3 h 30 min
- serves
- 6
- level
- hard
Sauerbraten is the slowest recipe on this site that requires almost no work: the beef sits in a spiced wine and vinegar marinade for three days, and that waiting is most of the cooking. The sour marinade seasons and tenderizes all the way through.
The sauce finish sounds like a prank and is the oldest trick in the Rhineland: crushed gingersnap cookies, melting into the strained braising liquid as thickener, sweetness and spice at once.
Sauerbraten is one of the world's classic dishes from 67 countries.
method
Three to five days ahead: bring the wine, vinegar, water, vegetables and spices to a boil, cool completely, and submerge the beef. Refrigerate, turning once a day.
Take the beef out, dry it well, and salt it. Strain and keep the marinade and vegetables separately.
Brown the beef hard on all sides in the oil in a dutch oven. Add the marinade vegetables for a few minutes, then the liquid.
Cover and braise at 160°C (320°F) for 2.5 to 3 hours, until a fork twists easily in the meat.
Rest the beef under foil. Strain the liquid, return it to the pot, and whisk in the crushed gingersnaps until the sauce thickens. Balance with sugar and salt; add the raisins if using.
Slice the beef across the grain and serve napped with sauce, with red cabbage and dumplings or spätzle.
chef's tips
- Three days in the marinade is the minimum that earns the name; five is better.
- The gingersnap thickening is traditional, not a gimmick. Use plain, hard gingersnaps.
- The sauce should balance sour, sweet and spice; taste and adjust at the end with sugar and a splash of marinade.