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Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten

This German sauerbraten is a tangy, aromatic beef roast, marinated in cider vinegar, red wine, lemon, onion, garlic, juniper berries, cloves, and peppercorns before slow cooking. The tender beef is paired with carrots, celery, and onions, while crushed gingersnaps add a gently sweet, spiced character to the cooking mixture. Serve it as a comforting make-ahead meal for a family dinner or special gathering.

  • Prep30 mins
  • Cook8 hrs 20 mins
  • Serves8
  • DifficultyMedium
Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

50 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
48 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
12 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityGood
92 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
1 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

48
Heart Health
63
Metabolic
51
Digestive
32
Inflammatory
61
Performance
54
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Heat water, wine, vinegar, onion, lemon, sugar, salt, garlic, cloves, bay leaves, juniper berries, and peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Allow the marinade to cool, then pour it into a resealable plastic bag. Add chuck roast, toss to coat evenly, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, turning the roast twice a day.

  2. 2

    Place onions, carrots, and celery in a slow cooker. Remove the roast from the marinade and arrange it on top of the vegetables. Strain the marinade; pour it over the roast and reserve the remaining marinade.

  3. 3

    Cover slow cooker; cook on Low for 8 hours. Turn slow cooker off; transfer roast to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil. Strain cooking liquid into a large bowl. Return vegetables to slow cooker; set aside.

  4. 4

    Pour cooking liquid into a saucepan, adding reserved marinade as needed; add gingersnaps. Heat over medium-high heat until the gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes.

  5. 5

    Slice roast; serve with vegetables and gravy.

  6. 6

    Remove the roast from the marinade and place it on top of the vegetables.

  7. 7

    Strain the marinade; pour 2 1/2 cups over the roast and reserve the remaining marinade.

  8. 8

    Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 8 hours.

  9. 9

    Turn the slow cooker off; transfer the roast to a cutting board and cover it with aluminum foil.

  10. 10

    Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl.

  11. 11

    Return the vegetables to the slow cooker and set aside.

  12. 12

    Pour 3 cups of cooking liquid (adding reserved marinade as needed to reach 3 cups) into a saucepan; add the gingersnaps.

  13. 13

    Heat over medium-high heat until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes.

  14. 14

    Slice the roast; serve with the vegetables and gravy.

About This Recipe

Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten is a German dinner recipe made with 18 ingredients. It takes about 8 hrs 50 mins, serves 8, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Peppercorns, Carrot, and Celery. Each serving provides about 451.27 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten?
It is a German recipe made with 18 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
What is Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten made of?
The main ingredients are Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Peppercorns, Carrot, Celery, Chuck Roast. The full list of 18 is above.
What goes well with Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten?
Explore these German side-dish recipes.
How long does it take to make Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten?
About 8 hrs 50 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 8 hrs 20 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 451.27 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten easy to make?
This recipe is rated medium, with 18 ingredients and 14 steps.
Is Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten healthy?
Kate's Weeknight German Sauerbraten has an easyChef Pro health score of 50/100. Per serving, it provides 451.27 calories and 51.74 g of protein, or 103% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber and iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 371.42 mg (16% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 3.63 g (18% of the Daily Value). It contains Citrus, Fish, Wheat, Gluten, Celery, Sulfites, Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

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