Textual Chef Textual Chef

Sauerbraten

A classic pot roast marinated in a spiced wine vinegar broth, then slow simmered until tender and served with a rich gingersnap sauce.

170 minMediumServes 6480 cal/serving

GermanDinnerStovetopStandardHigh ProteinDairy-FreeNut-FreePork-FreeNightshade-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 6 juniper berries, crushed
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup gingersnap cookies, crumbled
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions

  1. 1

    Combine 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup dry red wine, 1 cup water, 2 sliced yellow onions, 2 chopped carrots, 6 crushed juniper berries, 4 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tbsp kosher salt in a saucepan, simmer for 5 minutes, then cool completely.

  2. 2

    Place 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast in a deep container, pour cooled marinade over top, cover, and refrigerate for 3 days while turning meat daily.

  3. 3

    Remove 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast from marinade and pat dry, saving the liquid.

  4. 4

    Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast on all sides until browned.

  5. 5

    Strain marinade into pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours until 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

  6. 6

    Transfer 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast to a platter, whisk 1/2 cup crumbled gingersnap cookies and 1 tbsp brown sugar into pot liquid, simmer until thickened, and serve over sliced beef.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

What is Sauerbraten?

A classic pot roast marinated in a spiced wine vinegar broth, then slow simmered until tender and served with a rich gingersnap sauce. This reference files it under German dinner: made on the stovetop, rated medium and about 170 minutes start to finish.

How much time should I plan for Sauerbraten?

As written, 170 minutes: 20 of prep and 150 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 5 (2 hours): "Strain marinade into pot, cover, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours until 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast reaches an internal temperature of 160°F."

What internal temperature should Sauerbraten reach?

For Sauerbraten, the target internal temperature is 160 F (about 70 C), given in step 5. A probe thermometer removes the guesswork.

Can I skip the searing in Sauerbraten?

Step 4 reads: "Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear 3 lbs trimmed beef chuck roast on all sides until browned." You can, but you give up flavor. The browning in step 4 builds the savory base the rest of the dish is seasoned against. Give the pieces room so the pan stays hot.

What can I use instead of red wine in Sauerbraten?

The entry for Sauerbraten calls for 1 cup dry red wine. In its place: Use beef or mushroom stock with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or balsamic per cup. The sauce will be a little less deep.

How do I store and reheat Sauerbraten?

Refrigerate what is left of Sauerbraten within two hours and eat it within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More German entries

All German recipes · All Dinner recipes · All Beef recipes