As a child, I recall waking up on a Sunday morning to the aroma of my mother’s Bavarian Pork Roast baking in the oven.
She would attend the early church service and then prepare the Schweinebraten while we were at the later mass. By noon, we were all set to gather around the table for Mittagstisch.
Growing up in Bavaria, Sundays had a rhythm of their own. The clatter of pans, the warm scent of caraway and mustard, and the slow transformation of a humble Bavarian Pork Roast into something glorious—it was more than a meal, it was a ritual.
Cooking Schweinebraten (Bavarian pork roast) was one of the first dishes I learned, and it still holds a special place in my heart.
🧂 The Preparation: Seasoned with Love
We’d start early, preheating the oven to 350°F (175°C). The pork—sometimes with the Schwarte (fat cap), sometimes without—was seasoned generously with salt, black pepper, paprika, and caraway seeds. A smear of mustard added tang and depth.
If the roast had its fat cap, I’d score it in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife. I remember finding it easier to do this before broiling, a little trick I picked up from watching my mother.
🥕 The Vegetables: Rustic and Real
Carrots, onions, and celery were cubed or sliced, ready to join the roast later. Nothing fancy—just honest, earthy vegetables that soaked up all the flavor from the pan.
🔥 Browning the Roast: Building the Foundation
In a large skillet, I’d heat vegetable oil and brown the pork on all sides. That sizzle, that aroma—it was the beginning of something wonderful.
Once browned, the roast went into a large pan fatty side down, with a couple cups of broth, and into the oven for its first 30-minute stretch.
🍲 Layering the Flavor: Veggies and Fond
While the roast baked, I seared the vegetables in the same skillet, scraping up all the browned bits. After 30 minutes, I flipped the roast fatty side up and nestled the vegetables around it. A splash of hot water into the skillet helped loosen every last bit of flavor, which I poured into the roasting pan.
🍺 The Basting: Honey, Beer, and Patience
This was the part I loved most—basting the roast with a mixture of honey and beer. Every 20 minutes or so, I’d open the oven and brush the roast, watching the crust deepen and the aroma intensify. If the vegetables looked dry, I’d add a bit more hot water or broth.
🔥 The Finish: Broiled to Perfection
Toward the end, I’d crank the oven to broil for 15 minutes to crisp up the fat cap. The roast would puff slightly, the diamonds turning golden and crackly.
I’d check the internal temperature—160 to 185°F—and once it was perfect, I’d let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
🥣 The Gravy: Rich and Silky
The pan juices were strained into a saucepan, and sometimes I’d save the vegetables, sometimes not. A quick boil with cornstarch or flour thickened the sauce, and a final seasoning of salt and pepper rounded it out.
💬 Final Thoughts: A Roast That Tells a Story
Making Bavarian pork roast was never just about feeding people—it was about gathering, remembering, and honoring where I came from. The scent of caraway still brings me back to my childhood kitchen, where I learned that good food takes time, care, and a little bit of soul.
Serve with Potato puree, Bread dumplings, or Potato dumplings and gravy
Next time, I might try it with dark beer or add a few juniper berries. But no matter how I tweak it, this roast will always taste like home.
Optional charring on the Grill
Pictures below: Usually I would sear the meat in a pan before placing it in the oven or pot. I prefer a smoky taste, so sometimes I place the large pork shoulder on the grill and char it on each side for several minutes, then place it into the oven (stove top, Instant Pot).
Optional charring on grill 
Place pork roast on the grill to get a smokey taste 
At the end broil Bavarian Pork Roast an brush with a beer/honey mixture 
Bavarian Pork Roast needs to sit at least 20 minutes 
Sliced Bavarian Pork Roast, Schweinebraten 
Bavarian Pork Roast, Schweinebraten with Dumpling
Instant Pot – Pressure cooker:
If you want to save time, the Instant Pot for 45 minutes to 1 hour (15 min. per pound).
Instant Pot recipe: Sear the seasoned pork in vegetable oil on all sides, add the chopped vegetables and sear 2 more minutes. Add 1 cup of beer and 1 cup of water, minced onion and garlic to the IP, place pork on top of trivet, cover with caraway seeds (optional). Close lid and pressure cook on high the 3 to 4 lb roast for 55 minutes, 10 minutes slow release. (15 min. per pound). Turn the oven on broil. Place the pork into a roasting pan with fatty side up and cut a criss cross pattern on top. Brush with beer and honey mixture. Add 1 cup beer or liquid to pan and broil until the fat is crusty on top, about 10 to 15 minutes. Prepare the gravy as directed.
Bavarian Pork Roast from my Childhood
Ingredients
- 3 to 5 lb pork shoulder or Boston Butt
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika
- 1 tbsp caraway seeds
- 3 tbsp mustard (optional)
- 1 cup each onions, carrots, celery, spring onions, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup Beer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
- Can also be made with or without the fat part (Schwarte)
- Season pork with salt, black pepper, paprika, and caraway seeds; spread mustard over pork.
- Slice with a sharp knife criss cross in a diamond shaped pattern on the fat part, or do that before you broil the pork roast (I found that to be easier).
- Cube or slice the vegetables.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; fry pork until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer pork to a large roasting pan fatty side down with the 2 cups of broth. Place in oven for 30 minutes at 350 F.
- Sear the vegetables in the same skillet where you fried the roast.
- After the 30 minutes, turn roast fatty side up and add the cubed onion, carrots and celery. Spread vegetable mixture around pork in roasting pan.
- Pour 1 cup hot water into the skillet used to cook the pork and vegetables; simmer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom with a spatula.
- Add more broth if necessary.
- Bake with the fatty part up in preheated oven until pork is slightly pink in the center, 2 1/2 to 3 hours, basting often with a honey and beer mixture at 350F.
- If vegetables become dry, add 1 cup hot water, or as needed.
- For a nice crust, heat oven to broil for 15 minutes.
- Internal temperature should be at least 160 to 185F
- Transfer pork roast to a large platter, let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
- Strain remaining liquid through a sieve into a saucepan; reserve vegetables if you like.
- Stir in cornstarch/flour to thicken; start to boil for 2 minutes, then simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
After taking the roast out of the oven, wait 10 minutes. Slice pork and serve with potato or bread dumplings, wide noodles, Spätzle, and red sweet and sour cabbage or Bavarian Sauerkraut
Serve with my Servietten Semmelknödel
