Sauerbraten Tacos: A Summery Twist On A German Classic Beef Roast

I love Sauerbraten!! Especially one that's been very patiently marinating in wine, vinegar and spices for a good week or so, making it super tender and juicy... and that sauce! But I have been craving a lighter version of this rich meal that I often only get to enjoy during the Winter. So I came up with these Sauerbraten tacos, bursting with flavor, while keeping things light and refreshing with a quick slaw, pickled onions, and fresh herbs. Guten Appetit!

Sauerbraten Tacos

About this Recipe

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I love Sauerbraten!! Especially one that's been very patiently marinating in your fridge in red wine, red wine vinegar and spices for a good week or so, making it super tender and juicy... and that sweet and sour sauce! It just screams for a sponge like Kartoffelknödel (potato dumplings) or Spätzle to bathe in it and soak it all up!

For the red wine, I used Blaufränkisch by Lenz Moser - a dry, bold, peppery red wine from Germany's neighbor, Austria. Make sure you get at least two bottles of this, so you have enough left over to drink after you make the roast! To find out where to purchase, click here and fill out the contact form.

Please don't be discouraged by the time it takes to marinate! Yes, you will need to think about German food a week before you get to have it (Now that shouldn't be hard to do - I think about it all the time!), BUT can you imagine the smile on your face one week after you sent this chunk of meat to your fridge hibernate? Now that's something to look forward to! The marinade is super easy and quick to throw together. I simply use a gallon-sized freezer bag, add the meat, stand it upright, add the liquids, spices, etc, and that's it! Try to squeeze as much of the air out as you can when you seal the bag before transferring to the fridge.

Here a picture of the traditional Sauerbraten covered in that delicious sauce and served with homemade Kartoffelknödel and Rotkohl:

Are you drooling yet?

It's actually been quite a while since I have had a good Sauerbraten because not all places take the time to turn this meal into the best version it could possibly be. So I decided to give this one a try and you should, too! You will want to cook the meat just long enough for it to be tender enough to slice, but you don't want to cook it too long, or it will completely fall apart (but if it does, no worries, it will still taste superb!).

I have been craving a lighter version of this rich meal that I often only get to enjoy during the Winter because of how heavy it is. So I came up with these Sauerbraten tacos, bursting with flavor, while keeping things light and refreshing with a quick slaw, pickled onions, and fresh herbs. For my tacos, I simply cut my meat into bite-sized cubes instead of slicing it, drizzled it with sauce and other toppings. Don't forget that sprinkle of cotija cheese, the Mexican parmesan!

Guten Appetit!

Ingredients For Sauerbraten Tacos

Sauerbraten Marinade:

• 2 lbs (1 kg) beef shoulder
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 6 whole juniper berries
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole allspice
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 c (½ liter) red wine vinegar
• 2 c (½ liter) red wine (I used Blaufränkisch by Lenz Moser - an Austrian, bold, peppery wine)
• freshly ground salt & pepper

For Cooking & Sauce:

• 3 Tbsp butter
• ½ c (75 g) raisins
• whole bread crusts, cut into pieces (not crumbs) of ½ sourdough loaf
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 c (½ liter) beef or vegetable stock

For the Tacos:

• tortillas (I used locally made white corn tortillas by Yoli)
• ¼ head red cabbage
• 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 red onion
• some crumbled cotija cheese
• chopped, fresh parsley
• fresh lime wedges

HELPFUL TIPS:

• Save Old Bread! Next time you buy a loaf of fresh sourdough bread and you find yourself not being able to finish it all, cut off the crusts and freeze them. When ready to make your Sauerbraten, simply toss the frozen crusts in with the roast when cooking it.
• Get Creative: For the taco toppings, do whatever makes you happy. You could also pickle other vegetables like radish or shredded kohlrabi for your toppings in lieu of the red onion and red cabbage. Play with different kinds of cheeses as well if you would like! I am sure a smoked gouda would be great on this!

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Sauerbraten Taco Essentials

Sauerbraten Tacos Step By Step Instructions

Step 1

Rinse, trim, and small dice the vegetables. Using the flat side of a large knife, squeeze down on the whole spice corns to break them up a bit. Place the meat in a gallon-sized freezer bag and add in the veggies, spices, sugar, vinegar and red wine. Squeeze out most of the air, then seal the bag. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for about a week.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Remove the meat from the fond and pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper, and sear in a large pot on all sides in some butter over medium high heat.

Step 2

Strain out the marinated vegetables, reserving the fond. Remove the meat from the pot. Add the veggies and sauté in the meat's juices until golden brown. Add in some tomato paste and sauté for one minute. Add in the fond and stock and bring to a boil.

Step 4

Return the meat to the pot, add a lid, and roast in the oven for 1.5 to 2 hours. Add the bread crusts after one hour of cooking.

Step 5

Remove the cooked meat from the pot and keep warm. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve and using a spoon, press as much of the cooked veggies and bread crusts through as you can. Bring the sauce to a boil, add the raisins, and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the sliced meat to the sauce.

Step 6

If serving the traditional way, plate with red cabbage and potato dumplings. If making tacos, cube the meat and serve with sauce in warmed tortillas. Then top with pickled red onions (bring sliced red onions and 2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar to a boil, remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes), red cabbage slaw (slice thin, then marinate with oil, 2 tablespoon vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper), cotija cheese, fresh parsley and fresh lime wedges. Guten Appetit!

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Schlammbowle

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I received compensation from Niche Import Co. in exchange for writing this post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may be compensated if you click certain links.