An authentic Schwenkbraten is one of the highlights at German grill/BBQ parties. These German grilled pork steaks ooze flavour. Paired with a fresh salad and some white crusty bread, this dish makes for a comforting meal. I am excited to share with you the recipe and history of this German steak dish.
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What is a Schwenkbraten
Schwenkbraten is a German dish consisting of a marinated piece of meat that is cooked on a grill. This dish originates from the region of Saarland which lies in southwest Germany. The meat is typically grilled on a swinging grill called “Schwenkgrill”. The Schwenkbraten seasoning consists of an array of spices, every German family has different recipes.
What is a Schwenkgrill?
A Schwenkgrill (also called a Schwenker Grill”) is a German grill, consisting of a tripod from which a swinging grill is attached.
The name “Schwenkgrill'' comes from the German word for swinging “schwenken”. The grill plate is continuously swung over the fire, in order to ensure that the meat is cooked evenly.
Another word for this type of grill is “Schwenker” – literally translated means “swinger”. However, also the person who uses the grill can be called a “Schwenker”. To confuse matters more, sometimes the “Schwenkbraten” is also referred to as “Schwenker”.
Saarland was heavily influenced by the iron and steel industry. Around the 1950s workers would bring some leftover metal home from their work and build their own homemade Schwenkgrill.
For a traditional Schwenkbraten, they say you need three Bs - bread, beer (ideally brewed in the Saarland) and beechwood. Grilling with Beechwood will enhance the smoky flavour. (We did not have any beechwood and grilled our Schwenkbraten with coals).
However, there is another version of this famous dish. Ober-Idarstein is a town near Saarland that was famous for its jewel trade. Traders have said to have brought the “Schwenkgrill” back from Brazil where the Gauchos would grill their meat on a similar “swinging grill”.
What is the difference between Idar Obersteiner Schwenkbraten and Saarländer Schwenkbraten?
The main difference is that in Idar-Oberstein the pork is marinated simply with onion, salt and pepper. The Saarländer Schwenkbraten is marinated with a lot of different herbs and spices.
How to make Schwenkbraten?
Which cut of meat to use for Schwenkbraten?
Schwenkbraten is typically made from pork. Ideally use pork neck steaks or pork collar steaks. This cut of meat contains more fat and thus is more flavoursome. You can also use pork chops or pork loin steaks. However, you need to be aware that this cut of meat is leaner and thus less juicy. However, these cuts might be easier to get hold of abroad.
Ingredients
- 4 pork neck steaks (about 200 g each) You can substitute the pork neck steaks, with pork chop or pork loin steaks.
Ingredients for the Schwenkbraten Marinade
- 150 ml/ 5 fl oz vegetable oil
- 2 large onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 5 juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon German mustard (affiliate link) (alternatively use Dijon mustard)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Recipe Steps
- Peel and slice the onions finely
- Peel the garlic cloves and crush them.
- Crush the Juniper berries with a pestle or mortar or use another heavy item.
- Assemble the remaining ingredients for the marinade and place them in a large shallow bowl. With a spoon stir the ingredients to achieve a smooth mass.
- Add the pork steaks to the bowl and rub the marinade in. Store the marinated pork chops in an airtight container in the fridge. ( I like to keep them in a zip lock bag, to ensure the pork steaks are fully covered in the marinade.)
- Leave to marinate for at least 24-48 hours. Remove the meat from the fridge at least 1 hour before grilling.
- Oil your grill plate before making the fire.
- With the back of a spoon remove the onions from the pork steaks. You can fry them in a pan on the stove or place them in some foil to cook over the bbq.
- Grill each steak for about 10-15 minutes (the exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the steak and the heat of the grill)
Recipe Variations
Prepare your marinated pork steak in a frying pan.
It is not always convenient to prepare a BBQ. Of course, you can prepare this dish in a frying pan as well. It might miss the smoky flavour of grilled meat, but it will still be delicious. As the Schwenkbraten marinade already contains oil, you can fry on medium heat on each side for 10 minutes.
Prepare the Schwenkbraten in an oven
You can also prepare your Schwenkbraten in an oven. Preheat your oven to 180°C/356°F. Place your marinated Schweinesteak on a baking tray and bake for approx. 40 minutes.
How to serve Schwenkbraten.
Serve your Schwenkbraten with white bread. You can also place it in a white crusty roll and serve it as a German Pork Steak Sandwich. This is how you can buy them at Christmas markets and summer fairs.
The Pork Sandwich is made up of a crusty roll, a Schwenkbraten and optional onions on top and some German mustard (affiliate link).
You should also serve it with a side salad. Here is a list of typical German BBQ side salads
- Pasta Salad (Nudelsalat)
- German Carrot Salad (Nudelsalat)
- Potato Salad with Dill and Cucumber
- German Potato Salad with Apple
- Egg and Apple Salad
- Cucumber and Radish Salad
- German Coleslaw
More German BBQ Recipes
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Authentic Schwenkbraten (German BBQ Pork Steaks)
Equipment
- a grill or BBQ 15
Ingredients
- 4 pork neck steaks about 200 g/ 7oz each 4 You can substitute the pork neck steaks, with pork chop or pork loin steaks.
- 150 ml vegetable oil 5 oz
- 2 large onions
For the marinade
- 3 garlic cloves
- 5 juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon German mustard or substitute with Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and slice the onions finely.
- Peel the garlic cloves and crush them.
- Crush the Juniper berries with a pestle or mortar or use another heavy item.
- Assemble the remaining ingredients( mustard, thyme, oregano, paprika powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper) for the marinade and place them in a large shallow bowl. With a spoon stir the ingredients to achieve a smooth mass.
- Add the pork steaks to the bowl and rub the marinade in. Store the marinated pork chops in an airtight container in the fridge. ( I like to keep them in a zip lock bag, to ensure the pork steaks are fully covered in the marinade.)
- Leave to marinate for at least 24-48 hours. Remove the meat from the fridge at least 1 hour before grilling.
- Oil your grill plate before making the fire.
- With the back of a spoon remove the onions from the pork steaks. You can fry them in a pan on the stove or place them in some foil to cook over the bbq.
- Grill each steak for about 10-15 minutes (exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the steak and the heat of the grill)
- Serve with a side salad and white crusty bread. If you like you can place the cooked onions on top of the steaks.
I found the recipe while looking for advice on using onions after they have marinated the pork. Having lived in Idar-Oberstein for several years, I first learned of the Schwenkbraten there, served with daikon radish salad. Here, I use pork loin, in a bed of onions with salt & pepper, and marinate in the fridge for 3 days. Grill worked great on them, as I don’t have a Schwenker! However, wife throws out the onions, while I have always sauteed them and enjoyed along with the pork. I will try your recipe, which looks great.
So interesting to read about the grill. I absolutely love pork and these flavours sound delicious. Perfect for the summer.
Thank you, I am glad you found this post interesting. I hope you get to try the recipe
So interesting to read about traditional German BBQ food, thanks so much!
This looks so comforting and tasty - I love German recipes like this and I’m bookmarking this for later! Thank you for hosting - Karen
This looks so comforting and tasty - I love German recipes like this and I’m bookmarking this for later! Thank you for hosting - Karen
This looks so delicious. I was really interested to read about the grill and I love the mustard pork chops!