Crispy roast with beer sauerkraut

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 crusty roast, approx. 2.5-3kg

100 grams coarse sea salt

BBQ rub to taste

200 gram bacon cubes

1 clove of garlic, chopped

2 onions, diced

1.5 kg draught cabbage or sauerkraut, ready to use

60 grams butter

1 bottle (0.33 l) of dark beer to taste. Here we have used a delicious non-alcoholic Pale Ale Craft Beer from "In Ale", but of course everyone can decide for themselves what they like.

1.5 kg potatoes, peeled

Salt and pepper to taste

To achieve a crispy crust on the roast, it is advisable to lightly moisten some coarse salt in a baking dish or on a baking tray and then place the roast on top, skin side down. Ideally, leave it in the fridge like this for 4-6 hours or even overnight, then pat dry. The salt makes the crust much better. Then score the rind lightly with a sharp knife and rub a little salt into the incisions.

Season the roast everywhere EXCEPT the skin side with a little BBQ rub. If the roast is cured, season a little more sparingly here.

Preheat the Dutch oven in the Monolith over an indirect heat of approx. 17-180°C. Then fry the bacon cubes and, after a few minutes, fry the garlic and onions with the bacon. Add the Fasskraut and butter, stir everything, melt the butter and then add the beer. Mix again, spread the potatoes in the cabbage, place the crusty roast skin side up on the cabbage and cover with the lid of the Dutch oven. Continue to cook indirectly at 170-180°C, stirring every 30 minutes and adding liquid if necessary.

When the roast is approx. 10°C away from the desired core temperature, remove the lid of the Dutch oven and increase the indirect grilling temperature to approx. 230°C by opening the air inlet and outlet of the monolith.

After a few minutes, the crust should become crispy and the roast should slowly reach the core temperature.

Even if it is difficult, the roast should rest for a few minutes before being cut. Experience has shown that hardly any guests will notice if 1-2 pieces of the crispy crust are missing from the edges 😉


Enjoy your meal!


Tip: If necessary, occasionally add a little beer, water or vegetable stock if too much liquid evaporates.

Tip: If you like, you can also grill the roast indirectly for an hour first or smoke it to give the meat even more roasted and smoky flavors. But don't overdo it with the smoke, otherwise the skin can become leathery.

The desired degree of doneness and the ideal core temperature also depend on the type of crust roast. A back roast only needs a core temperature of just over 60°C, while shoulder, ham or belly can be cooked to 75-85°C.