Jump to:
- About This German Pork Roast Recipe
- What is Schweinebraten?
- The Best Cut of Pork to Use
- More Pork Shoulder Recipe Considerations - Skin Attached vs Skin Removed and Boneless vs Bone-in
- How to Make Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast
- Recipe
- To Beer or Not to Beer the Schweinebraten?
- Can I Cook This in a Crock Pot?
- Authentic Side Dishes to Serve with German Pork Roast
- Best Beer to Pair with this dish
- Other Pork Recipes
About This German Pork Roast Recipe
Boneless pork shoulder roast is a classic dish in Bavaria. Known as Schweinebraten it is popular at beer gardens, beer halls and of course - the tents on the Wiesn during Oktoberfest. More often than not Schweinebraten is cooked with a Bavarian dark lager and when in season - Märzen lager (aka Oktoberfest beer).
What is Schweinebraten?
In direct translation from German Schweinebraten means pork roast or roasted pork (schwein=pig and braten=to roast/roasted).
When the pork meat has a considerable fat cap with the skin on top it is also called Krustenbraten on account of the crispy and puffy skin that results during the time spent in the oven. In other words, Krustenbraten stands for pork roast with crackling.
Either way it is delicious, tender and possibly the tastiest and easiest to prepare roast out there.
The Best Cut of Pork to Use
The key ingredients for a classic Schweinebraten are simple - pork shoulder, root vegetables (carrots, beets, sweet potato etc) and dark German lager.
However, the choice of meat matters.
As the name unequivocally suggests the best cut of pork to use for Schweinebraten is boneless pork shoulder from near the neck of the pig (see diagram below).
It is a very flavorful cut with generous fat marbling which ensures that the meat stays moist and juicy after hours of slow cooking in the oven. Marbling correlates with better taste.
Technically you can also use picnic shoulder (also know as picnic ham or Boston pork butt) or even pork loin. However, beware that although the Schweinebraten will turn out delicious the cooked meat will have a denser texture as pork loin is much leaner. When slow roasting pork a higher fat content will always give you juicier, tastier results.
Our advice is to stick with actual pork shoulder.
If you use boneless pork shoulder with the skin on, then you will end up with some great crackling and make the Krustenbraten version.
More Pork Shoulder Recipe Considerations - Skin Attached vs Skin Removed and Boneless vs Bone-in
When we lived in Germany we absolutely delighted in the fact that we could go to the butcher and ask for meat for Schweinebraten. The man would ask us for how many people (this drives the size of the meat and correspondingly its weight) and cut us a good piece with the skin on. The butcher would even score the skin for us (see pictures below or watch Chris do it in the video).
Generally, in the US you will have a hard time securing pork shoulder with the skin on as shown in the labeled picture above. Somehow the majority of people are afraid of fat or maybe do not know what to do with it. Most frequently pork shoulder sold for roasting will have a fat cap, sometimes a more generous one, but skin still attached to the fat is a rarity.
If you want crackling and Krustenbraten that looks like this below - you must go to the butcher and ask for the right cut of meat.
As to whether you must have boneless meat...
You don't have to - you can absolutely prepare a finger-licking-good bone-in pork shoulder roast.
You just need to roast it a bit longer and you will not have uniform pieces when slicing the ready meat. If you go boneless, you can carve perfect pieces such as these below.
How to Make Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast
The two picture collages below organize the few easy steps you need to complete. Or you can watch Chris do it in the video above. Including some tasty pork gravy:)
Basically, you need to prepare a rub consisting of spices commonly used in Bavarian cuisine such as cloves, caraway seeds, cumin, and kosher salt and black pepper. Variations include coating the pork with mustard or both honey and mustard. You can also use garlic powder. Mix the spices in a small bowl - you will need several tablespoons worth.
Then all you have to do is:
- score the fat cap/skin (traditionally done, especially when with the skin so the crackling has the Krustenbraten diamond shapes)
- rub the meat with spices on all sides and then place it in a roasting pan with a rack (you could gently brush with olive oil first)
- roast it at 350 F for about an hour and a half then take it out, add the vegetables, pour the beer over them and the meat and put it back in the oven to finish roasting
- let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving
The boneless pork shoulder roast cooking time is in direct correlation with the size of the piece of meat.
Allow up to 3-4 hours total time to slow cook pork shoulder bigger cuts of 5-6 lbs and about 2 hours for pieces that are around 3 lbs. The internal temperature of the meat should reach 155 F when measured with a food thermometer. Even then, a more accurate way to know it is done is to stick a fork inside the meat to see how tender it is.
This is not precise science. The calibration of your oven matters as well.
Trust your eyes for the crackling - if it is turning too dark, lower the temperature. If the opposite, increase the temperature of your oven in the final few minutes of roasting (once the internal temp has been reached).
Do not hesitate to cover the roast with foil to protect the skin if needed. For Boston butts this would also help with retaining some moisture.
Recipe
German Boneless Pork Shoulder Roast (Schweinebraten)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder if you find it with the skin on you will have great crackling capping the roast
- 6 cloves
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds or ground
- 2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 3 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 12 oz dark beer Marzen, Dunkel, bock or if using ale Amber or Brown
- 1 large onion
- 3 carrots (or more as needed)
- 3 beets (or more as needed)
- 3 large sweet potatoes (or more as needed)
- 3 parsnips (or more as needed)
Instructions
- Turn the oven on to 350 F.
- Grind the cloves, caraway seeds and cumin seeds (if not using ground cumin) and mix them with the salt and pepper.
- Score the pork shoulder fat cap/skin. Rub it well on all sides with the seasonings mix and place it in a roasting pan with a rack. Make sure that the pork is level, especially if it has the skin on (better crackling will develop). You can place garlic cloves underneath the meat to even it out and achieve a level top surface.
- Roast the pork shoulder in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Just before taking it out peel and dice all the vegetables in 1 inch or so cubes.
- Place the vegetables around the meat and pour the two beers over them and the meat.
- Put the pork roast and the vegetables back in the oven and roast for 1 and a half more hours. About half way through check to see if the liquid is getting low. If so, add a bit more beer or a little bit of water. Baste the vegetables with the pan juices and continue to roast.
- You may need to roast a little longer than the total of 2.5 hours - check the internal temperature of the meat - if it is 155 F in the center, the pork shoulder is cooked.
- Also if your pork had skin on it keep an eye on the crackling and adjust the oven temperature up towards the end if it is not dark enough and not bubbling.
- If you notice the skin getting dark too fast then lower the temperature of your oven to 325 F until the internal temp of the meat is 155 F and broil for about a minute or two at the end. If you end up broiling to get a good crackling, place the roasting pan at the bottom rack of the oven first and then broil on high until the skin puffs up.
- Remove the pork from the pan and let rest on a cutting board before slicing.
Pan Juices Pork Gravy (Optional)
- If you want to make a gravy, strain the pan juices and set aside. In a sauce pan over medium heat melt 2 tablespoon butter and whisk in 2 tablespoon flour. Add the strained pan juices while continuing to whisk. If you need to thin out the gravy add water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste and if needed season with salt and pepper. Transfer to gravy boat and serve.
- NOTE: if you are not going to use the gravy immediately, keep it warm until you can serve it. Gravy breaks if reheated. Do not let it get cold and then attempt to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Helpful Tips for Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
- If your meat has skin attached, you do not have to score the skin to get a crackling - just be sure that it is dry before you begin roasting. The scored diamond shapes are traditional for Krustenbraten (and we rather like them) so we always score the skin of pork shoulder roast.
- Make sure that once you place the meat in a baking pan it is level - this really helps with the crackling. Use a couple of garlic cloves to level it.
- Do not cover the meat while in the oven, especially if your cut has the skin on. You want it to get nice and crispy on the outside, not steamed.
- Check on the roast after adding the vegetables and the beer, you may need to add more beer and/or water if the initial liquid has cooked off too quickly. You can also baste the vegetables with the pan juices.
To Beer or Not to Beer the Schweinebraten?
Low bitterness Oktoberfest lagers like the traditional Märzen style Prost Brewing Co. we used are rich in malty flavor and have gorgeous hints of spice to them as well as caramel undertones courtesy of the dark roasted malts in the grain bill. At the same time the Noble hops flavoring them add just enough earthy and herbal notes.
If you choose not to use beer, go with good quality vegetable broth or beef broth as the liquid. But really, this dish tastes best when prepared with dark German lagers. In fact, if you browse German cooking websites you will find at least a thousand recipes the majority of which call for dark beer.
In our opinion Oktoberfest lagers are the way to go - it is like pouring Fall itself onto the root vegetables and around the meat. If they are not in season, use dark lagers such as Dunkel, Bock and Schwarzbier or ales such as ambers and browns.
Can I Cook This in a Crock Pot?
Generally, if you want the crackling a slow cooker is not the way to go. Not to mention that it is not tradition. A crock pot is more suitable for pot roast recipes where you intend to shred the meat once it is cooked and use it for pork sandwiches.
Authentic Side Dishes to Serve with German Pork Roast
You can enjoy the Schweinebraten with a serving of the roasted root vegetables of course. And a side of soft Bavarian pretzel to mop up the pan juices. But if you are looking for more options...
The most authentic side to serve with Schweinebraten is braised red cabbage, in German Rotkohl or Blaukraut. We have a recipe for it coming up or you can check out the one we included in our Traditional Oktoberfest Foods curated compilation.
German potato dumplings or semmelknodel (bread dumplings) are also a very traditional side as are spätzle eggs noodles and mashed potatoes.
Butter braised sauerkraut and a dollop of German mustard are very welcome next to slices of German pork roast.
Finally, if you feel up for it - a thick gravy-like sauce always goes well Schweinebraten, just as it does with Schweinshaxe. You can use the pan juices to make it, see recipe card or watch the video for instructions.
Best Beer to Pair with this dish
Hands down German lagers. If in season go with Märzen. The subtle fall spice notes of the style amplify all the flavors this pork roast is about. The beer's maltiness and subtle spice match the caramelization of the crispy pork outer layer and the sweetness of the vegetables. Its crisp finish cleanses the palate after each delicious bite of juicy meat. Dream pairing.
If you are making this dish when seasonal Märzens are not available, consider pairing with other crisp lagers such as Vienna lagers, pilsners, helles, dunkel.
For more information on Oktoberfest lagers read Marzen vs Oktoberfest Beerand if you are curious about traditional German brewing techniques, read our post on how Prost Brewing Co. go the extra mile to craft their authentic German beer line up.
Other Pork Recipes
Apple Pork Tenderloin | Grilled Pork Belly | Braised Pork Belly | Schweinshaxe Bavarian Roasted Pork Knuckle | Pork Skewers | Pineapple Pork Roast | Grilled Pork Steak |German Pork Schnitzel | German Horseradish Sauce
Sara
Just made this today following every step and WOW is all we both kept saying This is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!
Monica
made this recipe as written.....and it was pretty good..... but my gravy was dark ruby (beet) red, yours wasn't, which leads me to believe that you did not include the beets in your version even if you included them in the recipe! I think, if I make this again, I will make it with red/yukon potatoes rather than sweet potatoes..... and we didn't love-love the parsnips.... so I might skip them and just add more carrots. Also, I thought the recipe could have used the addition of either ground mustard seeds in the spice mix or stone-ground mustard in the beer and some garlic. just my opinion.
Milena Perrine
Monica, you are right, we used golden beets, not red:) Parsnips are truly not the sweetest, so completely understand why you might skip them:) Thank you for sharing your experience and the detailed comment!
Sandra
This recipe is so easy. The roast turned our perfectly! It was much harder to actually buy the right cut of pork:) Will be making this again and again.
Randy
Made this per the recipe except veggies were only parsnips, carrots, and onions. Turned out very good. We cooked it at 325 due to an oven issue, and also took it all the way to 182F internal to try to get it a bit more tender. Not sure that was worth the extra time. That took a solid 4 hours and another half can of beer (2.5 total). The rub on the outside was great, although I couldn't get the caraway seeds properly pulverized with a mortar and pestle - a grinder would have been better. The gravy was delicious as well. Thank you!
Milena Perrine
Thank you for sharing! A spice grinder would definitely be an upgrade:)
Trista
Hi! I’ll be hosting my beer group this week and have decided to pay homage to Oktoberfest. I plan on making this delicious looking roast and luckily I have a wonderful gem of a local butcher that provided me with a boneless shoulder roast with fat cap and skin. However I’m confused, the roast was rolled and tightly bundled and I’m at a lost of how to score and if I should unbundle it. Some of the skin goes down the side as well, should I cut that off so I have an even surface?
Milena Perrine
Trista, a rolled pork shoulder is a bit more convenient to cook in some people's view. You can treat it as rolled skin-on pork belly. Dry and rub the skin with the rub, score only lightly. Be sure that all the skin on top has been touched by kosher salt, but not too much (it will draw moisture away and help a crackling form). You can brush with olive oil to help the salt and rub stick to the skin.
Where the skin and fat cap overhang on the sides you can use a small sharp knife to make incisions between the meat and fat, just enough to be able to lift them and season with rub underneath. When the fat is so separated from the meat on the down sloping parts of the rolled roast it will render and and at the end you could prop it up with tin foil to make it level. However, that would be too much work.
I would simply loosely tent the entire roast with foil and keep on cooking it tented until it begins to appear tender to the point you are satisfied with the actual meat's texture. Then increase the oven temperature to about 450 F and remove the tenting. The crackling will form quickly, watch it closely and take the roast out of the oven as soon as the skin puffs up. You will be able to hear it crackle. Don't broil because it is rolled, the higher heat should do the trick.
Joseph
I see that the recipe states 1 tbsp cumin seeds. Is that correct, or did you mean caraway seeds? I couldn't imagine adding a tbsp of cumin to Bavarian pork roast.
Often, the German word "kümmel" can mistranslated into cumin instead of caraway. I'm just wondering if that happened here.
Milena Perrine
It is correct, cumin is fabulous with pork roast. Caraway seeds are another ingredient for the rub, you can increase the amount if you'd like.
Marc Bernstein
Hello,
I'm making this tomorrow and need one clarification. After roasting the initial time I assume by the pictures I'm to remove the roast from the rack, place directly on the pan and then add the veggies and beer?
Craft Beering
Marc, we typically add the veggies directly over the roasting rack, then add the beer (watch the brief video if you'd like). If your roasting rack is one of the curved shaped ones and this is not comfortable to do, you could remove it and place two or three thick onion slices underneath the pork shoulder, level it well and then add the veggies and beer around it.
Nick
what do you mean when you say level the shouder with garlic cloves
CraftBeering
Place a garlic clove or a thick slice of onion or an aluminum foil ball underneath the meat so as to achieve a level top surface which helps with the formation of good crackling.
karl
under list of Ingredients, second item. Shouldn't that read 6 GARLIC Cloves ?
CraftBeering
Cloves cloves. The spice. The way the Germans like to do it. You crush the cloves along with the other spices.
Greg
INGREDIENTS
4 lbs boneless pork shoulder (if you find it with the skin on you will have great crackling capping the roast)
6 cloves
Is that supposed to read Garlic cloves??????
I used regular cloves and it came out delicious.
CraftBeering
Hi, Greg, No it is supposed to be cloves - the spice, six of them, not garlic cloves. You did the right thing using cloves and so glad to hear it turned out well. The simplest recipes always seem to be the best.
Juliana Fendez
This looks Perfect and sounds amazing! A perfect fall treat without the side of guilt. love it keep sharing more recipes ?
Marvellina|What To Cook Today
OMG! is all I can say! I NEVER say not to roast pork with cracklings like that! NEVER!
The Bearded Hiker
Oh my - that is the sexiest piece of pork I've ever seen. I need to find a butcher and fast! I cannot wait to try this!
Leman H. Wilson
How do I get this Pork Recipe as I would like to print it so I can add it to my homemade recipe book?
CraftBeering
Hi, Leman and thank you for stopping by!
Right under the picture in the recipe card there is a black Print button with white lettering. If you click it it will generate a one page printable recipe version. Hope this helps and mostly - hope you get to experience the deliciousness of roasted pork shoulder soon!
Cheers!
Warmest,
Milena
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Not only does that roast look amazingly succulent, there is some great info on pork here too! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party. Can't wait to see what you'll bring next week! Have fantastic day!
Miz Helen
Your Schweinebraten looks amazing, we would just love it! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a great week!
Miz Helen
sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net
Oh this looks so perfect!!! Loving the oktoberfest recipes.
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Is there really a choice to not use beer here?! I say ALWAYS use beer! This pork shoulder roast sounds mouthwatering delicious! I always love how you incorporate beer into your recipes 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
I agree with Kelsie. Though, I think it would be fun to try and eat all those delicious dishes you make 😉 Imagine all that yummy food paired with all kinds of beer. Now, that's a party! I imagine leftovers of this roast would be lovely too. Perhaps on a sandwich with lots of mustard. Now, I'm hungry!! Cheers, friends!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Fabulous! I love pork in any and all forms, so I'll be adding this to my October menu for sure 🙂
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
You make me want to host an Oktoberfest party--I'm tempted to try every recipe you post but I don't know how I'd ever eat all of that food without a house full of people to help me :). Hope you're having a wonderful week!