German Sauerbraten Recipe

Sauerbraten on a white plate with spaetzle and red cabbage.

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Traditional German Sauerbraten is a marinated beef roast that's braised until perfectly tender and served with a silky, slightly sour sauce.

Prep Time1

Cook Time3 30

Marinating Time3

Total Time3 4 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: German

Servings: people

Author: Julia Foerster

Equipment

1 Dutch Oven 6-quart

Ingredients

For the marinade

2 cups red wine e.g., Merlot
½ cup red wine vinegar
3 cups water
2 medium onions
2 carrots
½ celery root or parsley root
8 juniper berries
5 allspice berries
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
4 cloves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

For the roast

3 pound beef roast chuck, rump, or bottom roast
1 teaspoon ground pepper to season the meat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil e.g., avocado oil
1 slice German bread optional
1 teaspoon German gingerbread spice see notes

For the gravy

cornstarch as needed
honey to taste

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the marinade: In a large enough pot, combine red wine, vinegar, and water. Peel the vegetables and cut them into rough, 1-inch chunks. Add them to the pot along with the spices, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Then let the marinade cool completely to room temperature.
2 cups red wine, ½ cup red wine vinegar, 3 cups water, 2 medium onions, 2 carrots, ½ celery root, 8 juniper berries, 5 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, 10 peppercorns, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar
Marinate the beef: Wash the meat and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the roast inside a large freezer bag (or non-reactive container with a lid) and pour the cooled marinade over it. Seal and refrigerate it for 3-5 days, turning the bag occasionally.
3 pound beef roast
Prep for roasting: Remove the meat from the fridge and take it out of the marinade 30 minutes before cooking. Pat it dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade through a sieve into a bowl, reserving both the liquid and the vegetables/spices mixture separately, but discard the bay leaves.
Sear: Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Season the roast all over with pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned.
1 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Braise: Add the reserved vegetables to the pot and sauté for 1 more minute. Pour in the reserved marinade; the meat should be mostly submerged. Bring to a boil on the stovetop. Once boiling, cover with the lid and transfer it to the middle rack of your preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours.
Add flavorings: After 2 hours, crumble the German bread (if using) into the pot and add the gingerbread spice. Cover and cook for 1 more hour.
1 slice German bread, 1 teaspoon German gingerbread spice
Finish the gravy: Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the roast to a cutting board to rest. Pour the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Press down on the vegetables with a spoon to extract all the flavor, then discard the solids.
Thicken and serve: Pour the liquid back into the Dutch oven and bring the sauce to a gentle boil on the stovetop for about 5 minutes to reduce. Mix a little cornstarch with cold water and whisk into the sauce, as needed. Taste and add a little bit of honey if the sauce is too sour. Slice the meat, return it to the hot gravy, and serve with spaetzle or potato dumplings and Blaukraut.
cornstarch, honey

Notes

German Gingerbread spice:

You can make a batch of my German Gingerbread Spice recipe if you want to use it in multiple recipes or make a simplified version if you only need it for this recipe:

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch ground coriander

Nutrition