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My grandfather was German and so was my step-mother. They both made some amazing German Food! One of my favorites was sauerbraten and spaetzle. Although time consuming, it’s not a difficult meal to make.
What is Sauerbraten?
Sometimes referred to as the National Dish of Germany, sauerbraten is typically a marinated beef, but sometimes other meats are used. Like many dishes around the world, each region has it’s own version of this dish.
Many of the meats of the time were tough and gamey. The best way to tenderize it and enhance the flavor, was often with wine or vinegar. So the meat was marinated for days and cooked slowly in a dutch oven over the fire.
Although I’m sure this is a modernized and Americanized version of this traditionally German food, it is rich and delicious and satisfying.
Here’s how you make it:
The first thing is to get the roast in a marinade. It needs to sit for 3 to 4 days. Mix all the marinade ingredients into a large, non reactive container with a lid.
Mix it well,
then push the roast down inside. Cover and refrigerate, turning the roast once a day.
When it’s time to cook, take the roast out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Place the meat on a plate, but keep all the marinade.
Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a small dish. Rub it on both sides of the meat.
Heat the oil in a heavy kettle and brown the roast on all sides, cooking for about 10 minutes.
Pour the marinade over the top of the meat and gently loosen the bits on the bottom of the pan.
Bring it to a boil, then cover and cook on medium low for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat breaks away with a fork.
When is fork tender, remove the meat from the pot
and strain the liquids.
Put the liquid back in the pot, add the crushed ginger snaps,
and bring to a boil. Cook on medium for about 30 minutes. The cookies will dissolve and help thicken the sauce.
Time to make the spaetzle!
While the sauce is cooking, make the spaetzle – another favorite German food! Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Grate the fresh nutmeg –
Beat the eggs, buttermilk, nutmeg and oil together in another dish.
Pour the liquid into the flour and mix it into a wet, sticky dough.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Run the dough through a spaetzle maker into the water.
As it rises to the top of the water, scoop it out and set aside.
Keep going until all the dough is used.
Drain the water from the pan and add the cooked spaetzle in with 2 Tablespoons of butter. Set aside.
Now back to the sauce – using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to smooth any lumps the gingersnaps may have left.
Slice the meat and put it back into the pot with the sauce to reheat.
Serve the meat
and spaetzle
with sauce on top.
© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome
Spaetle is german for little sparrow
- 3 pound beef rump roast
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoonq ground black pepper
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 10 - 12 whole cloves
- 2 large bay leaves
- 3 cups water - plus (enough to cover)
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons canola (or vegetable) oil
- 10 - 12 crushed ginger snap cookies
- 2 cups flour
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- dash fresh ground nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- fresh cracked pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter
-
First, get the roast in a marinade. It needs to sit for 3 to 4 days. Mix all the marinade ingredients into a large, non reactive container with a lid. Mix it well, then push the roast down inside. Cover and refrigerate, turning the roast once a day.
-
After it's marinated, take the roast out of the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Place the meat on a plate, but keep all the marinade.
-
Now - Prep the meat for cooking - Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a small dish. Rub it on both sides of the meat. Heat the oil in a heavy kettle and brown the roast on all sides, cooking for about 10 minutes.
-
Pour the marinade over the top of the meat and gently loosen the bits on the bottom of the pan.
-
Bring it to a boil, then cover and cook on medium low for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat breaks away with a fork.
-
Remove the meat from the pot and strain the liquids.
-
Put the liquid back in the pot, add the crushed ginger snaps, and bring to a boil. Cook on medium for about 30 minutes. The cookies will dissolve and help thicken the sauce.
-
While the sauce is cooking, make the spaetzle. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
-
Beat the eggs, buttermilk and oil together in another dish.
-
Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour and mix it into a wet, sticky dough.
-
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
-
Run the dough through a spaetzle maker into the water. As it rises to the top of the water, scoop it out and set aside.
-
Keep going until all the dough is used.
-
Drain the water from the pan and add the cooked spaetzle in with 2 Tablespoons of butter. Set aside.
-
Back to the sauce - Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to smooth any lumps the gingersnaps may have left.
-
Slice the meat and put it back into the pot with the sauce to reheat.
-
Serve the meat and spaetzle with sauce on top.
© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome
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My grandma used to make this on occasion. It’s been so long since I’ve had it. Thank you for sharing, I lost her recipe.
Thanks Helen for sharing these recipes. I haven’t tasted sauerbrauten since my grandmother passed. I will be making your recipe soon.
What a delicious German classic. Very well done! Thanks for the recipe!
We were in Germany when we tried this German classic. So glad I can recreate the memories at home now!
What a wonderful German recipe.
My friend got me a spaetzle maker years ago. Unfortunately, I have used it much but when I saw your recipe I had to try it. We loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made this for my parents and they loved it, it reminded them of the dishes they had growing up!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Such a comforting and delicious homemade dish!
Beef looks so flavorful and tender! It’s perfectly seasoned and cooked. Can’t wait to try making this at home!
Love how savory this dish is! So so good!
Such a filling meal! Will definitely make it again!
We are heading for Winter here in Australia, and this is exactly the kind of comfort food I am starting to crave. This looks so good – what a delicious and hearty meal. I look forward to making it soon!
Love learning more about the history of spaetzle, and the detailed instructions and images are so helpful. I can’t wait to take this recipe on this weekend!
Love how flavorful and comforting this recipe turned out! So delicious and tasty!
We were in Germany and had a chance to try this classic recipe. So, I made this one to recreate our fun memories, and sure enough, it’s a hit and a must-try recipe at home!