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    Home » Main Course

    Authentic Schwenkbraten Recipe – Marinated BBQ Pork steak

    Published: Jun 23, 2021 · Modified: May 19, 2022 by Marita · 7 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    Schwenkbraten on a plate. Next to the meat is some german potato sala and lettuce. The Picture is on a wooden surface.
    Schwenkbraten with German Potato Salad an Lettuce

    Jump to:
    • What is a Schwenkbraten
    • How to make Schwenkbraten?
    • Ingredients 
    • Ingredients for the Schwenkbraten Marinade
    • Recipe Steps
    • Recipe Variations
    • How to serve Schwenkbraten.
    • More German BBQ Recipes
    • Did you try this recipe?
    • Recipe

    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.

    Schwenkgrill - a german grill on a tripod in a garden. On the grill you can see an array of meats

    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”.

    On a bbq you can see three pork steaks, one pork belly skewer and onions in a foil.

    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

    Schwenkbraten Recipe steps. First picture shows the onion marinade for the meat in a bowl. 2nd picture says how to cook the onions in a foil tray. 3. Shows marinated pork steaks. 4. Shows the pork steaks on a Schwenkgrill.
    1. Peel and slice the onions finely
    2. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them. 
    3. Crush the Juniper berries with a pestle or mortar or use another heavy item. 
    4. 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. 
    5. 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.)
    6. Leave to marinate for at least 24-48 hours. Remove the meat from the fridge at least 1 hour before grilling. 
    7. Oil your grill plate before making the fire. 
    8. 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. 
    9. 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. 

    A hand holding a pork steak sandwich. The background it white

    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
    A grill with some schenkbraten, sausage snails an and a tray of onions

    More German BBQ Recipes

    • Grilled Pork Belly Skewers (Grillfackeln)
    • Best Homemade Currywurst Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Swabian Potato Salad (Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat)
    • Schweinesteak Marinade – German Pork Steak Marinades

    Did you try this recipe?

    Please leave a rating or make a comment below. I would love to hear from you. You can send me an e-mail or comment on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

    Why not share our Facebook Group - Homemade German Food & Recipes. Here we chat about German Food and share recipes.

    Recipe

    Schwenkbraten on a plate. Next to the meat is some german potato sala and lettuce. The Picture is on a wooden surface.

    Authentic Schwenkbraten (German BBQ Pork Steaks)

    Marita
    Try this delicious traitional recipe from the Saarland. This marinate pork steaks are called Schwenkbraten and are traditionally cooked on a Schwenkgrill
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Marinating Time 1 d
    Total Time 1 d 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine German
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 365 kcal

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 627mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 478IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword German BBQ recipe, German pork steak, marinated pork steak
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Spaghetti Ice Cream (Spaghetti Eis)
    Grilled Pork Belly Skewers (Grillfackeln) »
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    Filed Under: Main Course, Meat

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Frank Thom

      February 27, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    2. Cat | Curly's Cooking

      July 09, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      So interesting to read about the grill. I absolutely love pork and these flavours sound delicious. Perfect for the summer.

      Reply
      • Marita

        July 09, 2021 at 8:26 pm

        Thank you, I am glad you found this post interesting. I hope you get to try the recipe

        Reply
    3. Kate

      July 08, 2021 at 8:12 am

      5 stars
      So interesting to read about traditional German BBQ food, thanks so much!

      Reply
    4. Karen

      July 06, 2021 at 5:47 pm

      This looks so comforting and tasty - I love German recipes like this and I’m bookmarking this for later! Thank you for hosting - Karen

      Reply
    5. Karen S Burns-Booth

      July 06, 2021 at 5:46 pm

      This looks so comforting and tasty - I love German recipes like this and I’m bookmarking this for later! Thank you for hosting - Karen

      Reply
    6. Janice

      July 06, 2021 at 8:44 am

      5 stars
      This looks so delicious. I was really interested to read about the grill and I love the mustard pork chops!

      Reply

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    Hi - I'm Marita!

    Food enthusiast & home cook. I returned to Germany after living in the UK for 20 years. I love making German recipes and exploring the cultural history behind each dish.

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