Cool the marinade completely
A warm marinade raises the temperature of the raw meat. Cool the cooked marinade completely and keep the beef, marinade and container refrigerated throughout the three days.
German Recipe
Rhenish Sauerbraten
This Rhenish Sauerbraten combines tender braised beef with a rich sweet-and-sour sauce. The cold marinade needs three days; once the meat has been seared, most of the work on cooking day happens gently in the oven.
Total time
3 days 4 hr 15 min
Calories
620 kcal
Servings
6 servings
Difficulty
Medium
Why this recipe works
Why Sauerbraten needs time
Sauerbraten relies on an aromatic cold marinade and patient braising rather than complicated technique. The beef remains fully submerged in red wine, vinegar, vegetables and spices for three days. Drying it thoroughly before searing allows a deeply browned crust to form. It then cooks gently in the oven until the connective tissue becomes tender. Aachen Printen gingerbread thickens the strained sauce, while raisins and a little sugar beet syrup soften the acidity without masking the flavour of the beef.
Lunch
Dinner
German Recipes
Meat
Recipe
Rhenish Sauerbraten
Rhenish Sauerbraten is marinated for three days in red wine, vinegar, root vegetables and spices. The beef is then braised slowly and served with a balanced sauce made with Printen gingerbread and raisins.
Ingredients
6 servings
Method
-
1
Cook and cool the marinade
Bring the red wine, red wine vinegar and water to the boil with the onions, carrots, celeriac and spices. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, then cool completely to refrigerator temperature. Never pour warm marinade over the raw meat.
-
2
Marinate the beef for three days
Place the beef in a close-fitting, acid-resistant glass, stainless-steel or food-safe plastic container. Cover completely with the cold marinade and vegetables. Seal and refrigerate for 72 hours, turning the meat once a day with clean utensils and keeping it fully submerged.
-
3
Separate the beef from the marinade
On cooking day, lift the beef out of the marinade. Strain and reserve the liquid as well as the vegetables. Pat the meat thoroughly dry on every side, then season it with salt. Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional heat.
-
4
Sear the beef thoroughly
Heat the clarified butter in a heavy ovenproof casserole. Sear the beef on all sides for 10 to 12 minutes until deep brown, including the narrow ends, then remove it. A dry surface and sufficient heat are essential for a richly flavoured sauce.
-
5
Build the braising base
Brown the drained vegetables in the cooking fat for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with 500 ml of the reserved marinade, scrape up the browned residue and boil vigorously for 2 minutes. Add the beef stock and return the meat to the casserole; the liquid should reach about halfway up the joint.
-
6
Braise the Sauerbraten gently
Cover the casserole and place it on the middle shelf. Braise the beef for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning it halfway through. After 2 1/2 hours, test it with a meat fork: the fork should slide in without much resistance. Cook for a further 15 to 30 minutes if necessary.
-
7
Finish the Printen and raisin sauce
Lift out the roast, cover and leave it to rest for 15 minutes. Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan and skim off excess fat. Stir in 60 g of crumbled Printen and the raisins, simmer gently for 10 minutes and check the consistency. Add more Printen only if needed. Balance the sweet-and-sour flavour with a little sugar beet syrup, salt and pepper. Slice the meat across the grain and warm it briefly in the hot sauce.
Kitchen know-how
Tips for Rhenish Sauerbraten
Dry the beef before searing
Wet meat steams and remains grey. Pat the surface thoroughly dry, heat the casserole well and turn the beef only after a brown crust has formed.
Adjust the sweetness at the end
Printen and raisins already add sweetness. Add sugar beet syrup only after reducing the sauce, one teaspoon at a time. A good Sauerbraten sauce should taste rich and sweet-and-sour, not like a dessert.
Variations
How to adapt this recipe
For a more savoury Sauerbraten, omit the raisins and sugar beet syrup and begin with 50 g of Printen. Balance the finished sauce with salt, pepper and, if needed, a small splash of red wine vinegar.
Replace the red wine with 500 ml unsweetened red grape juice and an additional 250 ml beef stock. Because the juice adds sweetness, begin with only 200 ml red wine vinegar and add the sugar beet syrup and raisins only after tasting.
Nutrition per serving
620kcal
24.0 gCarbohydrates
48.0 gProtein
32.0 gFat
Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Rhenish Sauerbraten
Beef chuck or shoulder is ideal. These cuts contain enough connective tissue to become juicy and tender during long braising. Lean quick-cooking cuts such as fillet or sirloin are unnecessarily expensive here and dry out more easily.
For a 1.5 kg joint, 72 hours in the refrigerator is a good guide. Turn the beef once a day with clean utensils and keep it fully covered by the cold marinade.
Stir in a little beef stock and reduce the sauce again. Then add crumbled Printen and no more than a teaspoon of sugar beet syrup at a time. Check the salt as well: balanced seasoning softens excessive acidity without making the sauce overly sweet.
Potato dumplings, bread dumplings or spaetzle are excellent for soaking up the rich sauce. Serve them with apple red cabbage, classic braised red cabbage or apple sauce. For a less sweet accompaniment, choose steamed root vegetables or green beans.
No. Even after the long cooking time, complete removal of the alcohol cannot be guaranteed. For children, pregnant people or anyone avoiding alcohol, use the alcohol-free grape juice and beef stock marinade from the outset.
Yes. Cook the beef and sauce completely, cool them promptly and refrigerate covered. The next day, slice the meat and reheat it slowly in the sauce. This keeps it juicy, and the sauce often tastes even more rounded.
Keep cooking