Beef marinated for days in vinegar and red wine with herbs, then slowly braised until tender and thickened with a sauce that is traditionally enriched with ontbijtkoek or peperkoek. One of the oldest national dishes of Germany, with roots going back to the Middle Ages.
Sauerbraten
Region: Rhineland
Sauerbraten
Region: Rhineland
Method
01
Marinate
Put the meat in a deep dish or jar. Mix all the marinade ingredients and pour over the meat, making sure it is completely covered. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 3 to 5 days, turning the meat once a day.
02
Prepare
Take the meat out of the marinade and pat very dry (strain and keep the marinade with the vegetables). Dust the meat with flour.
03
Brown
Heat the butter in a casserole and brown the meat all over until dark brown.
04
Braise
Pour in the marinade with the vegetables and add the raisins. Bring to the boil, cover and leave to braise gently for 2½ to 3 hours until the meat is very tender.
05
Rest the meat
Take the meat out of the pan, cover and keep warm.
06
Thicken the sauce
Strain the sauce, pressing the vegetables well. Bring back to the boil and stir in the crumbled ontbijtkoek until the sauce thickens and gleams. Season with sugar, salt and pepper.
07
Serve
Cut the meat into slices, spoon the sauce over the top and serve with spätzle or potato dumplings.
Tips & notes
The longer the meat marinates, the deeper and rounder the flavour; three days is the minimum, but five days gives the best result. Ontbijtkoek or peperkoek (Dutch spiced cakes) is the traditional Rhineland way of thickening the sauce; it gives a unique, spicy sweetness that you can't get with flour alone. Keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge, and freezes very well (up to 3 months); the flavour often deepens further the next day.
Variations
- Replace the beef with horse meat for the most authentic Rhineland version.
- Add a handful of prunes to the sauce for extra depth and sweetness.
Contains:
Gluten
Milk
Sulphites
Serve with
- Spätzle
| Calories | 472 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 77 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fibre | 35 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
