Bierkutscher steak from the Dutch oven

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 pork neck steaks
• 4 onions
• 1 bottle of beer (0.5l)
• 350 ml beef stock
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika powder
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp sea salt, coarse
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• Beet syrup
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes; Total time approx. 14 hours 10 minutes

Make a spice mix from sea salt, black pepper, paprika, and sugar and sprinkle it over the steaks. Halve one of the onions and cut both halves into strips. For the actual marinating, place the meat and onion strips in a sealable bowl or zip-lock bag, pour the beer over them, and refrigerate for a few hours. It’s best to do this the day before and leave the meat in the refrigerator overnight to marinate. Tip: There aren’t really any specific beer types. A light beer is recommended. However, I used a dark beer, specifically a porter, for this dish. Marinating enhances the subtle beer flavor in the meat. If this isn’t important to you or you don’t have time to marinate, you can sear the steaks after sprinkling them with the spice mix and add the beer directly to the Dutch oven. Halve the remaining onions and cut them into strips. Preheat the Dutch oven and melt 2 tablespoons of clarified butter in it. Once the Dutch oven has reached a reasonable temperature, remove the steaks from the marinade and sear them briefly on both sides. Then remove the steaks from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add the chopped onions and tomato paste to the Dutch oven and sear them. Deglaze with the beef stock and add another tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce. Add the rest of the marinade (onions and beer) as well. Now return the steaks to the Dutch oven. They should be at least half covered with liquid. If not, top up with additional beef stock or beer, depending on your taste. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for about 90 minutes. After this time, the steaks will be very tender. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and a little beetroot syrup. To serve, I carefully removed the steaks from the pot with tongs and carefully strained the rest through a sieve. This has the advantage that not everything on the plate is bathed in sauce, and each guest can adjust the sauce, onions, and meat to their own liking. It also looks more appetizing. I chose classic mashed potatoes as a side dish because the flavors blend perfectly with the sauce.