Classic German Sauerbraten

Name: Classic German Sauerbraten
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 500 g beef (top round or bottom round), trimmed; 250 ml red wine vinegar; 250 ml water; 1 onion, quartered (for marinade); 1 carrot, roughly chopped (for marinade); 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped (for marinade); 2 bay leaves; 8 juniper berries; 8 black peppercorns; 4 cloves; 1 tsp salt (for marinade); ½ tsp sugar (for marinade); 30 g vegetable oil (for searing meat externally); 20 g vegetable oil (for sautéing aromatics); 1 onion, quartered (for cooking); 1 carrot, roughly chopped (for cooking); 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped (for cooking); 30 g plain flour (optional, for dusting meat); 100 g beef stock; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2-3 plain gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen, without icing) OR 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water; Salt, to taste; Pepper, to taste; 1 tbsp sugar or honey (optional, for balancing gravy)

Thermomix recipe: Classic German Sauerbraten. Ready in 145 minutes. Serves 2. Step-by-step Thermomix instructions on Chef Amai.

Ingredients

500 g beef (top round or bottom round), trimmed
250 ml red wine vinegar
250 ml water
1 onion, quartered (for marinade)
1 carrot, roughly chopped (for marinade)
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped (for marinade)
2 bay leaves
8 juniper berries
8 black peppercorns
4 cloves
1 tsp salt (for marinade)
½ tsp sugar (for marinade)
30 g vegetable oil (for searing meat externally)
20 g vegetable oil (for sautéing aromatics)
1 onion, quartered (for cooking)
1 carrot, roughly chopped (for cooking)
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped (for cooking)
30 g plain flour (optional, for dusting meat)
100 g beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
2-3 plain gingerbread cookies (Lebkuchen, without icing) OR 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp sugar or honey (optional, for balancing gravy)

Instructions

**Prepare the Marinade (2-3 days in advance):** Place 1 onion (quartered), 1 carrot (roughly chopped), 1 celery stalk (roughly chopped), bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns, cloves, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp sugar into the Thermomix bowl. Chop 5 sec / Speed 5.
Add red wine vinegar and water to the bowl. Cook 5 min / 100°C / Speed 1. Let the marinade cool completely.
Place the 500 g beef in a non-reactive container (e.g., glass or ceramic dish). Pour the cooled marinade over the beef, ensuring it is fully submerged. If not, add a little more water/vinegar mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 days, turning the meat once daily.
**Prepare the Meat for Cooking:** Remove the beef from the marinade. Pat it very dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade liquid through a sieve and reserve it. Discard the solids.
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Optionally, dust lightly with 30 g plain flour.
Heat 30 g vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over high heat (outside the Thermomix). Sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned. This step is crucial for flavor development. Remove the beef and set aside.
**Sauté Aromatics:** Add 1 onion (quartered), 1 carrot (roughly chopped), and 1 celery stalk (roughly chopped) to the clean Thermomix bowl. Chop 5 sec / Speed 5. Scrape down the sides.
Add 20 g vegetable oil to the bowl. Sauté 5 min / 120°C / Speed 1 (Reverse).
**Build the Braising Liquid:** Add the reserved marinade liquid, 100 g beef stock, and 1 tbsp tomato paste to the bowl. Stir 10 sec / Speed 2.
**Braise the Sauerbraten:** Carefully place the seared beef into the Thermomix bowl, ensuring it is mostly submerged in the liquid. If needed, add a little more hot beef stock or water to cover the meat.
Cook 90-120 min / 95°C / Speed 1 (Reverse), or until the beef is fork-tender. Place the simmering basket on the lid instead of the measuring cup to allow for some evaporation and prevent splatter.
**Mid-cook check:** After 60 minutes, pause the Thermomix. Carefully scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and check the liquid level. Add a little more hot water or stock if the liquid has reduced too much. Continue cooking.
**Rest the Meat:** Once the beef is tender, carefully remove it from the bowl and transfer it to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
**Prepare the Gravy:** Add the 2-3 gingerbread cookies (if using) to the sauce in the Thermomix bowl. Blend 30 sec / Speed 8 to create a smooth gravy. If using cornstarch, skip blending and proceed to the next step.
Cook the gravy 5 min / 90°C / Speed 2 (Reverse). If using 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water, add it now and cook 2 min / 90°C / Speed 2 (Reverse) until thickened.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and optionally 1 tbsp sugar or honey to balance the sourness.
**Serve:** Slice the rested Sauerbraten against the grain. Serve with the rich gravy, accompanied by traditional sides like potato dumplings (Knödel), red cabbage, or spaetzle.

View this recipe on Chef Amai — convert any recipe to Thermomix format at chefamai.com.