Sauerbraten

Rhineland Sauerbraten with Gingerbread Gravy

Germany's national pot-roast: a beef joint marinated for several days in wine vinegar, aromatics and spices, then braised low and slow, and finished with a velvety gravy thickened in the Rhineland style with crushed Lebkuchen (gingerbread).

Prep

30 min

Cook

210 min

Total

240 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1500 g (3¼ lb) beef bottom round or chuck roast, tied, in one piece; bottom round is most traditional in the Rhineland
• •500 ml (2 cups) red wine vinegar
• •250 ml (1 cup) dry red wine, Riesling or a light Pinot Noir works; historically a Rheinhessen red is used
• •250 ml (1 cup) water
• •2 g (2 tsp) pickling salt, or coarse kosher salt
• •10 g (1 tbsp) whole black peppercorns, lightly cracked
• •6 g whole cloves
• •4 g (1 tsp) coriander seeds
• •2 g bay leaves
• •1 g (½ tsp) juniper berries, optional but characteristic
• •1 small cinnamon stick
• •300 g (10½ oz) onions, sliced into thin half-moons
• •3 g (2 medium) carrots, cut into chunks
• •2 g leeks, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and sliced
• •40 g (3 tbsp) beef tallow or neutral oil, for searing
• •60 g (⅓ cup) Lebkuchen (German gingerbread), crumbled; note: must be a soft, spiced honey/gingerbread, not a hard biscuit; if unavailable, substitute 30 g pumpernickel crumbs plus 5 g honey, 1 g ground ginger and 1 g ground cinnamon
• •30 g (¼ cup) sour cream or crème fraîche, to finish the gravy
• •20 g (2 tbsp) flour
• •10 g (1 tbsp) butter
• •salt and black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Make the marinade: in a non-reactive pot, combine the red wine vinegar, wine, water, salt, peppercorns, cloves, coriander, bay leaves, juniper (if using) and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, cool completely, then pour over the beef in a glass or food-safe plastic container. Tuck in about a third of the onions and carrots. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for 3 to 5 days, turning the meat once a day so the acid and aromatics penetrate evenly.
2. 2 When ready to cook, lift the beef from the marinade and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade and the vegetables. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
3. 3 Heat the tallow or oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Sear the beef on all sides until a deep crust forms, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
4. 4 Lower the heat to medium, add the reserved onions and carrots plus the leeks, and cook, stirring, until the onions turn translucent and lightly golden at the edges, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste.
5. 5 Pour in the reserved marinade, scraping up every browned bit from the pot. Return the beef to the pot along with any juices it released. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the side of the meat; top up with a little water if needed.
6. 6 Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and reduce the heat to low. Braise, turning the beef every 45 minutes, until a fork slides in and out easily and an instant-read thermometer reads 90 to 95°C / 195 to 205°F in the thickest part, about 2½ to 3 hours for a 1.5 kg roast. Proceed in this step until this internal temperature is reached for food safety and tenderness.
7. 7 Lift the beef onto a warmed platter, tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing the vegetables well to extract their flavour; discard the spent solids.
8. 8 Bring the strained liquid to a low simmer. Whisk in the crumbled Lebkuchen and simmer for 5 minutes so the gingerbread dissolves and the gravy thickens and takes on its characteristic sweet-spiced tang.
9. 9 Whisk in the butter for shine, taste, and adjust salt and pepper. Off the heat, stir in the sour cream or crème fraîche to round the acidity; do not let the gravy boil after this step or the dairy may split.
10. 10 Slice the rested beef across the grain into 1 cm / ½-inch slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Spoon the gingerbread gravy over and around. Serve traditionally with boiled potatoes, potato dumplings or Rotkohl, and a spoonful of hot apple or grape compote on the side.