Sauerbraten: the best recipe for one of the tastiest traditional German dishes

Made from rump roast marinated in an aromatic sweet-tangy marinade and cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, sauerbraten is one of German‘s most delicious national dishes.

The name sauerbraten means “sour” or “pickled” roast in German. A tough cut of meat, usually rump roast or bottom round roast is marinated with a delicious combination of vegetables, herbs, spices, vinegar, and wine for several days, then roasted and served with a sour, sweet gravy. The recipe changes slightly from region to region.

Sauerbraten is surprisingly easy to make, although because it takes several days to marinate, you'll need to plan if you want to make this succulent German dish. Serve your homemade sauerbraten with potatoes or classic German side dishes like spaetzle or Knodel. It's a phenomenal, hearty dish to make during autumn and winter and one that's sure to be a hit!

Sauerbraten Origins

The origins of sauerbraten stretch back to Ancient Rome. Legend has it that Julius Caesar sent jars filled with beef marinated in wine over the Alps to what is modern-day Cologne. Inspired by the tasty invention, the locals made their own version. Another story attributes King Charlemagne as the inventor of sauerbraten, while yet another says it was Saint Albertus Magnus of Cologne.

What Cut of Meat is Sauerbraten Made of?

Most recipes use tough cuts of beef like a rump roast, eye of round, or bottom round roast. If you like, you can use a more tender cut like a chuck roast. Some recipes even use pork roast or venison instead of beef.

How to Make Sauerbraten

Although it takes a little bit of patience, it's easy to make this mouthwatering sauerbraten. Here's what to do. Start by placing the vegetables, herbs, spices, salt, and sugar into a Dutch oven.

Mix in the red wine, red wine vinegar, and water, then bring the marinade to a boil. Turn down the heat and put the lid on the Dutch oven. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes, then take the pot off the heat and allow the marinade to cool to room temperature.

Now it's time to marinate! Put the beef in the marinade, making sure it's completely covered. Cover with a lid and place in the fridge for four to seven days. Once the meat has finished marinating, take it out and pat it dry. Pour the marinade through a strainer. Save the marinade and the vegetables, setting both to the side for the moment. Sauté the beef in the Dutch over high heat. Make sure to brown each side well – this will add loads of flavor to your sauerbraten. Once browned, put the beef on a plate.

Cook the bacon, then stir in the vegetables. Sauté them for 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the flour and cook until the raw flour smell disappears about 1 minute. Stir in the reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the raisins, honey, ginger snaps, and beef roast to the pot. Allow the mixture to boil, then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook the beef for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. If you let it marinate longer, it will cook more quickly, so keep an eye on it. Pop the roast on a plate and cover with foil while it rests. Strain the cooking gravy out of the pot. Slice the meat, drizzle gravy over it, and serve with potatoes, spaetzle, or Knodel.

Tips for Making German Sauerbraten

You can leave out the bacon if you like.

Use a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Rhone red. Don't use an expensive bottle – an inexpensive to midrange bottle will do.

Instead of red wine vinegar, you can use cider vinegar.

If you don't have gingersnaps, you can use ground ginger instead and add a little extra brown sugar or honey to the gravy.

You can marinate the rump roast anywhere from four to seven days. Some recipes even call for up to ten days.

The longer you leave it to marinate, the faster the roast will cook. For best results, check the roast while you're cooking it to see if it's done. For medium doneness, the rump roast should read 150F on an instant-read meat thermometer.

Make sure the meat is fully covered by the marinade. If not, you'll need to rotate the roast once a day while it's marinating.

Once you've plated the roast and strained out the gravy, taste the gravy and adjust the seasonings as needed.

What to Serve with Sauerbraten

German sauerbraten is traditionally served with potatoes, German bread dumplings (semmelknodel), spaetzle, and German red cabbage (rotkohl). Potato pancakes, also known as kartoffelpuffer, are popular side dishes to serve with sauerbraten.

How to Store and Reheat Sauerbraten

Keep any leftover sauerbraten in an airtight container in the fridge. It'll last up to 4 days.

Reheat it on the stovetop or microwave. For best results, reheat the meat with gravy. This will keep the beef tender and moist and help reduce the risk of it drying out.

Instructions

Put the onions, carrots, leeks, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves, peppercorns, salt, and sugar into a Dutch oven.

Stir in the red wine.

Pour in the water.

Stir in the red wine vinegar, then bring the mixture to a boil.

Lower to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the marinade to cool to room temperature.

Put the beef in the marinade.

Make sure the beef is completely covered.

Cover with a lid and place in the fridge for four to seven days.

Take the beef out of the marinade and pat it dry.

Strain the vegetables out of the marinade, reserving the liquid and the vegetables.

Heat oil in the Dutch oven over high heat. Brown beef roast on each side, then set it on a plate.

Sauté the bacon until cooked.

Add the vegetables and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes.

Mix in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the raisins and honey.

Stir in the gingersnaps.

Add the beef roast to the pot. Let the mixture boil, then cover with a lid and turn the heat down to low.

Cook for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Place the roast on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes.

Strain the cooking gravy out of the pot. Slice the meat, drizzle the gravy over it, and serve.

Notes

Use an enamel-coated Dutch oven or non-reactive cookware to make your sauerbraten.