Dinner · 240 min · german

Sauerbraten

A German dinner built around beef chuck roast and red wine vinegar — on the table in 240 minutes.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 3 lb Beef chuck roast
• 1.5 cups Red wine vinegar
• 1.5 cups Water
• 2 Yellow onion
• 2 Carrots
• 3 Bay leaves
• 8 Juniper berries
• 10 Gingersnap cookies
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Butter

Steps

1. Two to three days before you want to eat, combine the vinegar, water, sliced onion, carrots, bay, juniper, cloves, and a spoon of salt. Nestle the beef in, cover, and refrigerate, turning the meat once a day. This long marinade is what makes sauerbraten sauerbraten.
2. Pat the meat completely dry and sear it hard on all sides in a heavy pot — deep brown crust, no gray spots.
3. Strain the marinade, pour it over the beef, and braise covered at 325°F for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat yields to a fork.
4. Lift out the meat and keep it warm. Simmer the braising liquid down, then crush in the gingersnaps — they melt into the sauce and give it body and that dark, sweet-sour gloss. Whisk in the brown sugar and butter.
5. Slice the beef against the grain and blanket it with sauce. Red cabbage and potato dumplings are the classic company; a simple boiled potato works on a weeknight.

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