Sour Beef and Dumplings (Sauerbraten)

This is classic German food and one of the best cold-weather meals ever. Pair with a good German beer, some dark bread and a salad. Note that to do this right, you need to marinate it for at least three days. The dumplings here arent exactly like my grandmother used to make. This is still a German potato dumpling recipe, but it includes farina (Cream of Wheat). I find that the farina adds a nice flavor, and it makes for easier dumplings that are less likely to come apart while cooking.

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Sour Beef and Dumplings (Sauerbraten) Save
Sour Beef and Dumplings (Sauerbraten)
german

This is classic German food and one of the best cold-weather meals ever. Pair with a good German beer, some dark bread and a salad. Note that to do this right, you need to marinate it for at least three days. The dumplings here arent exactly like my grandmother used to make. This is still a German potato dumpling recipe, but it includes farina (Cream of Wheat). I find that the farina adds a nice flavor, and it makes for easier dumplings that are less likely to come apart while cooking.

  • Preparing Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Served Person: 8
white meat free tree nut free nut free contains gluten contains red meat shellfish free contains dairy contains eggs
main dish

Step-by-step

  • First, make the marinade: In a large saucepan over high heat, combine the vinegars, 3 cups of water, onion, carrot, 1 tablespoon of salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries and mustard seeds. Cover and bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set it aside and let it cool.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large saute pan. Rub the beef roast with 1 teaspoon of salt and brown it on all sides.
  • Once the marinade has cooled to the touch, put the meat into a large, nonreactive vessel and cover with the marinade. (I use a ceramic-coated Dutch oven.) Place it in the refrigerator for three to five days. If the meat isn't covered entirely by the marinade, be sure to turn it once a day. (In my Dutch oven, I sometimes wedge an onion between the lid and the meat to hold the meat under the liquid.)
  • After marinating, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover and cook in the oven until tender--approximately four hours. While it's cooking, you'll want to start making the dumplings (below).
  • When the meat is done, remove it from the pan and keep warm. Move the Dutch oven to the stovetop, whisk the crumbled gingersnaps into the marinade, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is smooth and well blended. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
  • TIP: To crumble the gingersnaps, I usually put them into a freezer bag, squeeze the air out and give it to the nearest child to pound on until there aren't any more lumps.
  • Slice the beef and serve in a large bowl or platter covered in the sauce. Serve the dumplings on the side. Generally each diner puts some beef and a couple of dumplings on their plate, and then spoons the sauce over all.
  • To make the dumplings:
  • Heat the water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a heavy simmer in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the quartered potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 or 20 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes very well, and mash them or put them through a potato ricer. (A ricer works best.)
  • Spread the riced potatoes on a platter or cookie sheet and set them aside to dry and cool.
  • After the potatoes have cooled, place them in a mixing bowl and add the eggs, grated fresh potatoes, farina, flour and nutmeg. Mix well, and roll into golf-ball or tennis-ball sized dumplings. (Mine tend to be tennis balls or racquetballs. I like big dumplings and I cannot lie.) Roll the dumplings in a little bit of flour to help them dry on the outside and not stick.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil and then reduce to a heavy simmer. Cook the balls for 15 to 20 minutes. They should all be floating when they are done.
  • Drain and serve on a platter.

What drinks and sides belong on the table when a five-pound beef roast requires three to five days of cold-water acid submersion before it ever sees a hot oven? Sauerbraten demands accompaniments that can cut through the rich, sweet-and-sour gravy thickened with crushed gingersnaps. A crisp German pilsner or dunkel provides the necessary carbonation and malt backbone to balance the heavy vinegar bite of the reduction. Dark rye bread is essential for mopping up the surplus liquid on the plate, while a sharp green salad dressed with a straightforward vinaigrette offers a bright, herbaceous contrast to the deeply savory beef. Because the preparation timeline spans nearly a week, planning the refrigeration space ahead of time is just as critical as sourcing the juniper berries and whole cloves. Nonreactive vessels like glass, ceramic, or enameled Dutch ovens must be used for the extended pickling phase; standard aluminum will react with the cider and red wine vinegars, imparting a metallic off-flavor to the meat. Turning the roast daily ensures even color and flavor penetration if the liquid fails to submerge the cut entirely. When the four-hour braising window at 325 degrees finally concludes, the resulting gravy requires straining through a fine-mesh sieve to catch the remaining aromatics and yield a glass-smooth finish. Meanwhile, potato dumplings incorporate farina to reinforce the dough structure, preventing the spheres from disintegrating during their 15 to 20 minute simmer in heavy-simmering water. Spreading the riced potatoes on a baking sheet to release steam before mixing stops the starches from becoming gummy.

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