Sauerbraten is a delicious German style marinated and braised beef. The beef is marinated for 2-3 days so it is a dish to make when you have the time to let the beef marinate, it is one of those things that cannot be rushed. It is worth the wait.
Start by taking a 3 – 3 1/2 pound beef chuck roast or round roast, (I used top round), and place in a large plastic bag with a seal. Add to the bag, 3 cups of water, 1 cup of red-wine vinegar, 1 sliced onion, 1 whole clove, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon whole allspice. Mix the ingredients and place the beef roast in the bag, squeeze out the air, seal, and let it marinate in the frig for 2-3 days.
After meat has marinated for 2-3 days remove from bag but do not discard the marinade, it will be used in the cooking process. Dry off the meat with a paper towel.
Spread mustard, salt, and pepper all over the roast. Put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven and brown all over on med-high heat.
Once browned on all sides, pour in half of the marinade, 1/2 cup of red wine, and 1 cup of beef broth.
Pour in enough broth along with half the marinade to almost cover the beef. Cover the pot and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 1/2 – 3 hours turning every hour until tender. Add more marinade as needed.
Once the roast is done and tender, for best results, let the roast cool so it can be sliced into 1/4 inch slices. Once you make the gravy, it can be placed back into the sauce and reheated before serving.
To thicken the gravy, use 3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with a 1/4 cup of water to make a slurry. Pour cornstarch mixture into the sauce to thicken stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 min. Next, gradually add 1/3 cup of sour cream to the gravy and stir briskly with a whisk. The vinegar in the marinade may cause the sour cream to curdle a little, don’t panic, it’s normal. Just pour the gravy through a sieve and then pour it back into the pot and add your sliced beef back in to reheat before serving.
This dish does take some time to prepare but it is so worth it once you taste it and your family & guests will love it. Sauerbraten goes well with mashed potatoes, German potato dumplings, German Spätzle, or whatever you like. Give it a try, and let me know how you like it. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep Time: 15 min for marinade (2-3 days to marinate)
Cooking Time: 2- 3 1/2 hours Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
3-3 1/2 pound chuck roast or round roast
3 cup of water
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup of red-wine vinegar
1 med onion sliced
1 whole clove
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon whole allspice
Prepared mustard
Vegetable oil for browning the meat
3 tablespoons of cornstarch
1/3 cup sour cream