Sauerbraten (Sour Roast)

Sauerbraten served with Klöße and Rotkohl

Sauerbraten

Sauerbraten, or sour roast, is one of Germany’s most iconic dishes. A pungent vinegar marinade infuses the roast with bold flavors while also tenderizing the meat. Legends reportedly link the creation of Sauerbraten to great leaders like Julius Caesar and Charlemagne and their mobile armies that supposedly stored meat in jars of wine to keep it fresh. Red wine vinegar replaces the alcohol as the base of the marinade, but that is only one aspect of the complex favor profile of this savory dish. Recipe Servings: Serves 6

Prep Time

15 minutes
+ 3 minutes resting

Cook Time

4 hours

Total Time

4 hours 18 minutes

Vegetarian

Vegan

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Kosher

Halal

Ingredients

3 lbs (1.3 kg) beef rump roast
1 cup (240 ml) red wine vinegar
1 cup (240 ml) cider vinegar
2 cups (480 ml) water
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp (20 g) salt
1/2 tsp (3 g) pepper
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
1 tsp (6 g) mustard seeds
1 Tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
5 oz (140 g) gingersnap cookies, crushed

Directions

In a large pan, combine red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, water, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, and mustard seeds. Cover pan and bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes before removing pan from heat and cooling marinade.
Rub rump roast with vegetable oil and sprinkle salt on all sides.
Heat a large pan over a medium-high flame and brown roast on all sides.
Place rump roast in a large container and pour cooled marinade over the top.
Refrigerate roast for 3–5 days. If meat is not completely submerged in marinade, turn once per day.
When meat is fully marinated, preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).
Move roast to a large roasting pan. Add the sugar to the marinade and pour mixture into the pan. Bake roast, covered, for 4 hours.
Set meat aside to rest and strain liquid into a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the crumbled gingersnap cookies and cook until the sauce thickens. Strain sauce to remove any solids.
Slice meat and serve warm with the sauce on the side.