Zwiebelrostbraten (Braised Roast Beef with Onion Sauce)

Braised onion roast beef is perfect for preparing for many guests, keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, and can also be frozen.

This simple recipe for pan-seared onion roast beef (Zwiebelrostbraten or "Old Vienna onion roast beef" in Austria) delivers tender, soft meat and requires only a few simple ingredients.

Jump to:

• Onion roast beef - which meat?
• Ingredients
• Alternative ingredients
• Instructions for Braised Onion Roast Beef
• Onion Roast Beef Side Dishes
• Vegetable Side Dishes for Onion Roast Beef
• Viennese Braised Onion Roast Beef (Braised Zwiebelrostbraten)

Long-braised onion roast beef is particularly suitable when making a main course for many people that can be prepared and reheated easily.

Especially for larger family gatherings during the holidays, this dish can simmer away without much effort while you prepare side dishes, welcome guests, enjoy appetizers and soup with them, etc. 😉

Onion roast beef - which meat?

For onion roast beef, roast beef or top sirloin is used.

However, the recipe can also be prepared with any other parts of beef that are suitable for beef schnitzel, fillet, etc., for example with beef tenderloin.

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for the onion roast beef recipe:

• 4 pieces of roast beef or top sirloin, sliced ​​to about the thickness of a finger (about 1.8 lbs / 800 gram in total)
• 4 medium sized brown onions (about 400 gram)
• about 3 cups (¾ liter) of water
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar - or other rather neutral vinegar e.g. white wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar doesn't go so well with its fruity note.
• Salt, fine-grained
• Pepper, black, ground
• Fat - traditionally clarified butter or neutral vegetable oil, but in our family, olive oil is preferred.

Alternative ingredients

If you want to "spice up" the recipe, you can experiment with the following ingredients, for example:

• a splash of red wine (or more)
• roast mushrooms with the onions
• let finely diced root vegetables simmer with the onions
• let a handful of finely chopped anchovy rings with capers simmer with the onions
• stir in 1-2 tablespoon sour cream at the end of the cooking time: first mix with 1-2 tablespoon cornstarch, then gradually add some of the hot onion sauce and stir until smooth. Then stir into the pan with the remaining sauce. It's best to remove the meat beforehand. If the sour cream still curdles, if necessary, puree the sauce with an immersion blender.

Instructions for Braised Onion Roast Beef

Slice the roast beef to about the thickness of a finger (or let the butcher do it for you). Cut a little into the fat edges so that they do not curl when frying.

Optional: Salt and pepper well on both sides 1-2 days before cooking.

If you don't have time for that, salt and pepper right before frying (also possible a few hours before cooking).

Sear the meat in a pan with a little fat until brown. Remove from the pan.

Meanwhile, slice the onion into thin rings and brown in the same fat as the meat.

Add the meat back into the pan and pour in water until everything is covered. Add a tablespoon of vinegar. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer on low heat for about 90 minutes until the meat is very tender.

Onion Roast Beef Side Dishes

The classic side dishes for Viennese onion roast beef are fried potatoes, a pickled gherkin and crispy fried onions.

But croquettes, potato noodles (Schupfnudeln), oven-baked potatoes, pan-fried potatoes, parsley potatoes, tagliatelle pasta or spiral noodles, as well as spaetzle, are also very suitable as side dishes.

Vegetable Side Dishes for Onion Roast Beef

In addition to the above-mentioned side dishes, the following vegetables go particularly well with onion roast beef.

I personally wouldn't season the vegetables much, so that the delicious onion sauce can come into its own:

• Green beans
• Peas
• Carrots
• Parsley roots
• Black salsify
• Celery root
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

Maybe you are also interested in the following Austrian beef recipes: