Sauerbraten
A Sunday meal I remember growing up. That sweet and sour, tangy taste and smell you won’t forget.
Some have to develop taste buds for it. Sauerbraten can be a big hit a the dinner table, you can’t go wrong cooking for a big crowd
The Sunday Sauerbraten is a classic and perhaps one of the most famous traditional German dishes
There are meals that linger in memory long after childhood, and for me, Sauerbraten is one of them. Every other Sunday, the sweet‑and‑sour aroma would fill our home — tangy vinegar, warm spices, and the deep richness of beef slowly braising.
It’s a dish you don’t forget. Some people need time to develop a taste for Sauerbraten, but once you do, it becomes a favorite. At our table, it was always a hit, especially when cooking for a big crowd.
Sauerbraten is a classic — one of Germany’s most famous traditional dishes — and it requires patience. The secret lies in the marinade. Red wine, vinegar, herbs, and spices break down the meat fibers, tenderizing the roast and infusing it with flavor. The longer it rests, the deeper the taste. Plan ahead: marinate for at least 4 days, ideally a week, and you’ll be rewarded with a dish that tastes like home.
Vinegar breaks down meat fibers, connective tissue and tendons and makes the meat tender. The longer you put the roast in, the more intense it will taste. If you store it in the refrigerator, you can leave it to marinate for at least 4 days, it penetrates the roast with all its aromas.
It is Top Round beef roast is particularly tender after long a couple of days laying in a marinade.
Notes & Tips
- Plan ahead: Sauerbraten is not a last‑minute dish. The marinade needs time to work its magic.
- Instant Pot variation: Cook on high pressure with 1 cup of marinade/broth mixture for 1 hour (or 20 minutes per pound). Allow a 20‑minute natural release.
- Serving suggestions: Traditionally paired with Potato Dumplings, Spätzle, or mashed potatoes, and sweet and sour Red Cabbage on the side.
- You have little time? Buy your Sauerbraten Marinade here on Amazon
A Taste of Home
For me, Sauerbraten is more than a recipe. It’s the memory of Sundays in Bavaria, the comfort of family gathered around the table, and the joy of carrying on my mother’s tradition. Every time I prepare it, I’m reminded of her patience and care — the way she taught me that good food takes time, and that sharing it makes it even better.
Tangy Sauerbraten
Ingredients
- 3 lb Beef Chuck or Top Round Roast
- Marinade:
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 large carrot
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 peppercorns
- 5 juniper berries
- Salt
- 1 tbsp sugar or honey
- 1.5 cups red wine
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- Cook the roast:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- Optional: 4 tbsp. Raisins
- Optional: 4 Gingersnaps
You can prepare the beef in the Instant Pot on high pressure, add 1 cup of water/marinade mixture, cook for 1 hr or 20 min each pound, slow release for 20 min.
Serve with Red cabbage, Potato puree, Bread dumplings, or Potato dumplings
Instructions
- The beef needs to be marinated 4 days before the cooking.
- For that you need to cut the celery, carrot, onion and garlic in cubes.
- Cook the juniper berries, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaves, salt and sugar with the red wine and the red wine vinegar in a pot on medium low heat for 15 minutes.
- Let cool.
- Cover the beef with the marinate and put everything in a large container or vacuum sealed bag for about four days in the refrigerator.
- After a 4 days, remove the meat out of the refrigerator and dry it off with a paper towel.
- Fry it until lightly brown in a deep pan or Dutch Oven.
- Add the cubed onions and fry for 2 minutes or until golden.
- Combine the honey with the rest of the marinade and beef broth and add to pot.
- Cook the Sauerbraten for 2 hours on medium temperature, turn every half an hour.
- Remove the beef.
- Mix the sauce with a blender or push it through a sieve.
- Season to your liking with red wine and salt and pepper
Notes
Serve with potato dumplings or Spätzle, and sweet and sour red cabbage
This is what I miss most about Germany :/