Zwiebelrostbraten
Before meeting David who’s now my husband 💍, German cuisine was probably my least favorite. After going to German restaurants a few times, my verdict: the food was “bland and lacked flavor”. I also made that comment to him when we met… he kind of agreed. Although I got disappointed a few times, I didn’t give up on German food and after his mother introduced me to some recipes, I decided it was time for me to add my personal touch to them.
German desserts are incredible 😍! I’m thinking of delicious Stollen, Zwetschgenkuchen, Coffee Cake, Kirschenmichel, Black Forest Cake, Pfeffernüsse, etc. When it comes to savory dishes, most need a boost in the flavor department and that includes Beef Rouladen, Hasenpfeffer, Schnitzel, Sauerbraten, Flammkuchen, Kartoffelsuppe, Eisbein, and others as well as Zwiebelrostbraten!
What is Zwiebelrostbraten?, you may ask. It’s a dish from Austrian and Swabian (southwest Germany) cuisine. Technically, it’s roast beef served with a brown gravy, topped with Crispy Fried Onion Strings along with a side of Spätzle Noodles, mashed or roasted potatoes. My mother-in-law 👵 loved serving it on Sunday.
When I have roast beef that’s what I use otherwise I use eye of round steaks. After seasoning them generously with salt 🧂 and pepper, I let them rest for 20 minutes – always let your meat come back to room temperature. After it’s cooked until nicely browned, I set it aside while making the gravy.
This is where I put my own touch by adding flavor to the gravy. Besides the beef broth, I add red wine 🍷. I also add tomato paste, some hot German mustard – the brand I use is Löwensenf which can be found in most European specialty stores -, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar… not traditional but certainly a good one to add. All combined, these ingredients give a beautiful taste to the gravy perfect for the Zwiebelrostbraten!
As I mentioned earlier, this dish is served with fried onions 🧅 and either spätzle noodles, mashed or roasted potatoes. Last week, I posted my quick and easy Crispy Fried Onion Strings and those are what I use to top the meat. I prefer serving it with my homemade Spätzle Noodles but if you prefer, mashed or roasted potatoes are a great alternative.
This flavorful German recipe is just incredible! With a few added ingredients, my elevated version of Zwiebelrostbraten is absolutely delicious! If you’ve never had it before, you have to put this on your list… trust me, it’s that good!😉
Bon Appétit!🍽
Here are more incredible beef recipes for you to enjoy…😀
– Filet Mignon • How to Cook Perfectly
– Hungarian Beef Goulash
– Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole
– Beef Stroganoff
– Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole
– Veal Ossobuco
and for even more beef recipes 🐂, click on this link… Recipe Category • Beef
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
Zwiebelrostbraten
Hover to scale
Ingredients
- 4 eye of round steaks
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste and divided
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 2 tbsp. clarified butter tips & tricks
- 1 sprig rosemary tips & tricks
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. hot German mustard such as Löwensenf
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup 35% heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch (mixed in 1/2 cup cold water)
- 1 tbsp. cold butter
- crispy fried onion strings see Recipe
- spätzle see Recipe
Directions
- After patting the steaks dry with paper towels, generously season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add clarified butter. When hot, add steaks and a sprig of rosemary; cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until nice and brown.
- Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil by forming a tent to keep them warm.
- Discard the sprig and reduce the heat to medium. Add beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, mustard, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping the bottom to dislodge any brown bits.
- Cook until the liquid has reduced by a third, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, add heavy cream and whisk until well incorporated; continue cooking.
- When it’s done, add cornstarch mixture and stir until the gravy thickens, about 45 seconds.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add butter. Gently swirl it around until melted; taste and adjust if necessary.
- To serve, spoon the gravy over the meat, top with some crispy fried onion strings and add spätzle.
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
