german sauerbraten

(1)
Recipe by
Sandy Griffin
San Antonio, TX

Today we are going to relive some of our favorite foods from living in Germany. This is my version of one of the standard recipes in German. I hope you all enjoy it. I use a Romertopf (clay pot) that I soak first for at least 30 minutes in room temperature water to cook the meat. If you don't have one, you are missing out. I cook all my roasts in this pot. You can use a Dutch Oven. I know it sounds like it takes a lot of time, but it really does not. Most of the time is just waiting. This does need to marinate for 3 days.

read more
(1)
yield 6 serving(s)
prep time 23 Hr 30 Min
cook time 4 Hr
method Bake

Ingredients For german sauerbraten

  • 2 c
    water
  • 1/2 c
    cider vinegar
  • 1/2 c
    red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 c
    merlot wine
  • 1/2 c
    gin
  • 1 md
    onion
  • 1 lg
    carrot
  • 2 tsp
    Kosher salt, plus some for rubbing the meat
  • 1/2 tsp
    black pepper, plus more for rubbing the meat
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • 6
    whole cloves
  • 1 tsp
    Chinese hot mustard or whole seeds
  • 4 lb
    beef top round steak, boneless
  • 1 Tbsp
    vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp
    paprika, sweet mild
  • 2 Tbsp
    tomato paste (optional)
  • 3 Tbsp
    granulated sugar
  • 16
    gingersnaps, old-fashioned crunchy ones crushed (about 3 ounces)

How To Make german sauerbraten

  • 1
    Put the first 12 ingredients into a large cooking pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool to the touch.
  • 2
    While you are waiting for that, take the meat and rub it with oil, salt, and pepper.
  • 3
    Braise the meat to a good golden brown.
  • 4
    Remove the meat and rinse about 2 Tbsp of water in the pan to get the drippings. Then pour into the mixture that is simmering.
  • 5
    Once the meat is cool, add it to a Ziploc bag. Then pour the liquid over the meat into the bag. Put it in the refrigerator. Toss it twice a day in the bag, not opening for 3 days (72 hours).
  • 6
    Finally, the day of cooking, yeah! Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pour the Ziploc bag contents into a Dutch oven (or Romertopf clay pot). Add 3 Tbsp of sugar.
  • 7
    Cover and cook at 325 degrees for about 3 - 4 hours.
  • 8
    Once the meat is tender, remove the meat from the pot.
  • 9
    Strain the remaining liquid with a fine sieve.
  • 10
    Put it in a pot on the stovetop. Stir in the gingersnaps, paprika, tomato paste, and sugar. Cook on medium heat.
  • 11
    Whisk until the mixture thickens. If it gets too thick, just add water or merlot until the desired consistency. Taste it to see what it needs at this point. I change this part each time to get it to taste just the way I like it.
  • 12
    Slice the cold meat. Pour the sauce over the meat. Heat it briefly and serve.

Categories & Tags for German Sauerbraten:

ADVERTISEMENT