Sauerbraten is one of the most popular dishes in Germany, and is perfect for rustic living. It is basically a roast familiar to what we all have made in the slow cooker, but the difference is with the long marinating time and the unique flavor of the gravy.

You can take elements of this authentic Sauerbraten recipe and implement them into your normal roasting techniques, and will have a whole new twist on a classic dish that can get boring. The trick is patience. You make up the marinade and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days, turning at least daily. This marinade will make all of the difference, and you can’t cheat the process. Here is one note: the marinating process for Sauerbraten works amazing for game, especially venison. Make the marinade as described below, and use it for all of your venison cuts. Now, you can’t copy the cooking process unless you have a roast sized piece of meat, but the marinade will do wonders for game meat.

There are three interesting ingredients to Sauerbraten that you may or may not want to use. First, is the raisins. They are optional in the last step, and add if you like. That brings us to mushrooms, which we don’t mention in this recipe. We are lucky to have a lot of wild mushrooms near the cabin, and always use mushrooms instead of raisins in the gravy. Finally, the gingersnaps. The gravy for Sauerbraten can be a little sour (by definition), and the gingersnaps cut that and add a wonderful flavor. If you don’t like this flavor, just substitute with some other sweet ingredient like honey, brown sugar, etc.

This recipe includes instructions for cooking with a Romertopf / Dutch Oven and a Slow Cooker.

Ingredients:

3 Pound boneless top round roast

4 1/2 Cups dry red wine

1 Cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 yellow onions

Whole Peppercorns

Bay Leaves

Cloves

Minced Parsley

Flour

3 Tablespoons Butter

2 Carrots, peeled and sliced thin

Tomato paste

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 Tablespoons sweet sherry

1 Cup seedless raisins

Ginger Snaps

Instructions (Dutch Oven / Romertopf):

Bring 4 Cups red wine, 1 Cup Water, lemon juice, 1 onion chopped, about 10 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 4 whole cloves together in a large Dutch Oven and bring to a boil

Lower temp and simmer 5 minutes

Allow this marinade to cool

Place the roast in a larger freezer bag or non-metalic bowl and cover with marinade

Let marinate in the fridge for 4 days, turning daily

On the 5th day, remove from the fridge, remove the roast from the marinade

Strain the marinade, and save both liquids and solids

Pat the roast dry, rub with salt and pepper and roll in flour

Add butter to a large pan and brown the roast on all sides. Will take about 10 minutes

Transfer the beef to a plate

Add all of the marinade discards to the pan

Add the 2 chopped onions, butter, carrots, several crumbled ginger snaps, and 2 Cups of the reserved marinade

Add the roast back, along with 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste and bring to a boil

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning every hour

Remove roast to a plate and cover with foil

Strain contents of the Dutch oven

Add the marinade back to the Dutch oven and add sugar, sherry, red wine, raisins

Boil, uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until reduced by half

Instructions (Slow Cooker):

Bring 4 Cups red wine, 1 Cup Water, lemon juice, 1 onion chopped, about 10 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 4 whole cloves together in a large Sauce Pan and bring to a boil

Lower temp and simmer 5 minutes

Allow this marinade to cool

Place the roast in a larger freezer bag or non-metalic bowl and cover with marinade

Let marinate in the fridge for 4 days, turning daily

On the 5th day, remove from the fridge, remove the roast from the marinade

Pat the roast dry, rub with salt and pepper and roll in flour (keep marinade on the side)

Add butter to a large pan and brown the roast on all sides. Will take about 10 minutes

Transfer the beef to a slow cooker

Add all of the marinade discards to the slow cooker

Add the 2 chopped onions, butter, carrots, several crumbled ginger snaps, and 2 Cups of the reserved marinade

Add 1 Tablespoon of tomato paste

Cook on low for 8-9 hours or low for 5-6 hours on high

Remove roast to a plate and cover with foil

Strain contents of the slow cooker into a sauce pan

Add sugar, sherry, red wine, raisins

Boil, uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until reduced by half

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