Austria's Sunday Classic Schweinsbraten with Knödel and Warm Krautsalat That Feels Like Home
The staple of Austrian tavern cuisine, alongside Schnitzel, Zwiebelrostbraten and Gulasch, is certainly the Schweinsbraten with Knödel. In my childhood it was THE Sunday classic par excellence, always with variations of side dishes. Sauerkraut, Weinkraut, red cabbage, cold or warm Krautsalat were our favorites. Today I show you how my mom prepares the warm Krautsalat. The Schweinsbraten was usually prepared from Schopfbraten, as the Karree always seemed too dry to us. For Mr. Bee – my declared enemy of fat and cracklings – there was of course a fine Karree. Not too long roasted, so it remains juicy.
In This Article:
- Ingredients and Times for Four Servings
- Semmelknödel Preparation (Steamed Dumplings)
- Warm Krautsalat Preparation
- Roast Meat Preparation and Searing
- Excursus: Handling a Thick Crackling
- Oven Roasting and Crisp Crust Tips
- Finish and Slice the Roast
- What to Do If Your Partner Won’t Eat Fatty Meat
- Advertising Disclosure and a Warming Weekend Tale
- Espresso and Grappa: Small Pleasures that Fuel the Day
Ingredients and Times for Four Servings
Difficulty: Not specified Preparation time: 1 hour Ingredients for 4 servings For Semmelknödel: For Krautsalat:
Semmelknödel Preparation (Steamed Dumplings)
Butter melts and the finely chopped onion is sautéed until pale. The eggs are beaten with the milk, salt is added, and the mixture is poured over the bread cubes. All remaining ingredients are well incorporated into the mixture and left to steep for a few minutes. From the mixture, dumplings are formed and cooked in a steamer or pressure cooker with a steam basket for 10 minutes. If you like, you can halve them and then fry a bit more.
Warm Krautsalat Preparation
Let the butter foam and caramelize the sugar in it. Finely dice the onion, crush a little garlic, dice the bacon and roast as well. Before the sugar sets, everything is deglazed with a little vinegar and beef stock. Finely shred the white cabbage and add it to the vinegar mixture. The Krautsalat is seasoned with bay leaf, juniper berries, caraway, salt and pepper. The Weinkraut should be stirred well, cooked until soft, and finally seasoned with vinegar, sugar, salt and oil.
Roast Meat Preparation and Searing
Score the fat side in a diamond pattern and rub it vigorously with salt, pepper, caraway and freshly pressed garlic. In a frying pan, sear the fat side in lard with diced onions, until hot and crispy. (If you don’t want it to be so rich, you can also use corn germ oil for frying!). Place in a baking dish and pour a little water over it.
Excursus: Handling a Thick Crackling
Excursus: If the crackling is really thick, first pour finger-high water (or better broth) into a frying pan and bring to a boil. Then lay the loin with the crackling side down and boil for 20 minutes. Only then score the meat in a diamond pattern and rub thoroughly with salt, pepper, caraway and garlic. (When scoring, make sure you cut in such a way that you can slice the roast well afterwards!)
Oven Roasting and Crisp Crust Tips
For both variants: remove the meat from the roasting pan, and pour off the juices. Loosen the roast residues with a little water and add them. Bring to a boil and, if needed, thicken with a little flour. Roast the meat in the oven at 180 °C (top/bottom heat) and baste it occasionally with the released juices or water.
Finish and Slice the Roast
Slice the meat and arrange it on a platter. Remove the meat from the roasting pan and pour off the juices. Loosen the roast residues with a little water and add them to the sauce. If needed, bring to a boil and thicken with a little flour.
What to Do If Your Partner Won’t Eat Fatty Meat
What to do if your partner does not eat fatty meat, but you personally love nicely braised pieces of meat on the plate—especially with Schweinsbraten? Simply not cooking? That cannot be the solution! As you already know, Mr. Bee is very picky when it comes to…
Advertising Disclosure and a Warming Weekend Tale
This post contains advertising. Weeks ago – in anticipation of the cold snap, when I already wanted to run the heating on high – I cooked at least one dish that warms from the inside and also feeds the soul. Since I still have from the weekend with our moms a proper piece of the Mangalitza Racks…
Espresso and Grappa: Small Pleasures that Fuel the Day
I don’t know if you feel the same. There are things you can only savor with something specific and subjectively essential as an accompaniment. Or also to drink. Mr. Bee loves espresso. He loves it even more with Grappa. Hot and cold. When the Grappa goes down the throat like oil…
