Rhineland sauerbraten with raisins and pumpernickel sauce

Rhineland sauerbraten: beef marinated for three days in vinegar with bay, cloves and juniper, then braised, with a sauce thickened with pumpernickel and raisins. Dinner for 6.

At a glance

• Serves 6
• Prep time: 30 min
• Cooking time: 165 min
• Total time: 195 min
• Calories: 437 kcal per serving
• Protein: 43 g
• Fat: 21 g
• Carbs: 18 g

Ingredients

• 1.2kg beef shoulder
• 50g raisins
• 50g pumpernickel
• 2 onions
• 400ml red wine vinegar
• 600ml water
• 1 carrot
• 100g celeriac
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 6 juniper berries
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt

Method

You’ll need: casserole dish · stick blender · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · sieve

1. Bring the red wine vinegar and water to the boil with the bay leaves, cloves, juniper and peppercorns, then leave the marinade to cool. Cut the onions, carrot and celeriac into rough chunks.
2. Put the meat and veg in a bowl, pour the cold marinade over them, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 3 days. Turn the meat once a day.
3. Take out the meat, pat it dry and salt it. Pour the marinade through a sieve, keeping the liquid and the veg separately.
4. Brown the meat all over in the olive oil in a casserole for 8 min, add the veg and fry for 3 min, then pour in half the marinade and the stock. Cover and braise over a low heat for 2.5 hours.
5. Take out the roast and keep it warm. Crumble the pumpernickel into the sauce, add the raisins and honey and simmer everything for 10 min.
6. Blend the sauce, season to taste with salt and a little marinade and serve the sauerbraten sliced in the sauce.

Good to know

Sauerbraten takes planning: the meat spends three days in a vinegar marinade, then it braises almost by itself. In the Rhineland, raisins go into the sauce; here it's thickened with pumpernickel instead of Aachener Printen (spiced Aachen gingerbread). The sweetness comes from raisins and a spoonful of honey.

Swaps

Red wine vinegar → apple cider vinegar (milder). Pumpernickel → 2 slices of rye bread. Honey → 2 soaked dates. Beef shoulder → beef brisket.

Cooking tips

Put the meat in a bowl that's only just big enough, so the marinade covers it. Season the sauce with marinade at the end until the sweetness and acidity are right.

Storage

In the sauce, 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Allergens

Contains gluten (rye in the pumpernickel) and celery; no milk, egg or nuts. Because of the honey, not for babies under one year old. Suitable in pregnancy.

Dairy-free recipes