
Fall festivals are my favorite and the best is Octoberfest at The Old Stein Inn, our local beer garden. One of my favorite things ever is their Sauerbraten Poutine. Sadly, they have taken this off the menu but I can still order the fries with the Sauerbraten gravy.
Our neighbor makes the best latkes ever and taught me how to do this. Once I made the sauerbraten and served it over these latkes and now this is a family favorite.
I had been thinking about the lovely sauerbraten gravy. To create my own version I delved into my family history. My Great Grandfather emigrated here from Germany and my grandmother made sauerbraten. She had his recipe in her head but written recipes were not her forte. She is gone now so I started to poll the family for insight. I did find some of her recipe notes giving me the foundation to piece together my own version of the sauerbraten. It may not be the most traditional but it is amazing.
Now, to create the Poutine…Even if I could have used French fries I wanted something more unique. My answer was the Latke. When I started to think about this as the base for my poutine so I went on a quest to find the perfect Latke. I asked all of my friends and got so much feedback. I’m so amazed as how generous everyone was with their with family traditions.
My neighbor, Gale, has a family tradition of latke making. She and her sister share their grandmothers recipe and even they have some differences in technique. I’m pretty impressed because whoever makes them they turn out light, fluffy and delicious! She was so excited about my quest she sent me home with her treasured electric skillet for this adventure.
I created my own version of the latke and once I had it down I paired it with the sauerbraten I love so much. Then I topped it with goat cheese. That put it over the top. Once I perfected this recipe I served it for my French friend. She even asked for the recipe – everyone does.
Here is my version of the Poutine. I use the latkes as a base, layer a few thin slices of the beef, ladle the gravy over it and top this with a creamy chévre. I know the recipe looks daunting but it’s really not. The Sauerbraten can be prepared days in advance. Even though the latkes are fried they are fun to make once you get the hang of them. I’ve broken the recipe down into two parts: The Sauerbraten you will find below, with a link in the recipe for the latkes.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

January is Idaho® potatoes & National Sunday Supper Month
- For the Sauerbraten:
- 1 - 4-6 Pound Beef Roast, Eye of Round or Sirloin is the best
- Salt and Pepper
- 1½ Cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Cups of Red Wine
- 1 Quart of Beef Broth
- 3 Large Onions, divided use
- 3 Large Carrots, divided use
- 1 Herb Bundle, see below
- 6 Tablespoons of butter
- 4 Tablespoons of AP Flour (I've used Gluten free Flour with great success)
- 2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
- 2 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon of granulated sugar
- 8 Gingersnaps
- The Juice of 1 Lemon
- 3 tablespoons of Chopped Parsley
- 6 Slices of Bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
- 4 oz of Crumbled Soft Goat Cheese like Chévre
- Sea Salt and Coarsely ground Pepper to taste.
- 4 bay Leaves
- 6 Sprigs of Thyme
- 5 Sprigs of Parsley
- 1 tablespoon of Pickling Spices
- 15 Whole Cloves
- 12 Whole Black Peppercorns
- Season the roast with salt and pepper, set aside.
- Make the herb bundle: Coarsely chop the herbs and place all ingredients in a large tea ball or wrap in cheesecloth then secure well with kitchen string.
- Coarsely chop one onion and carrot.
- Select a pot or dutch oven large enough to hold the beef submerged as much as possible in the liquid. Place the pot on the stove and bring the vinegar, wine, beef stock, the herb bundle, the coarsely chopped onion and carrot to boil. Cool to room temperature then add the beef. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days, turning the beef a few times a day.
- After the marinade, remove the pot from the refrigerator. Pull the beef from the marinade and dry thoroughly. Strain the marinade and reserve the herb bundle. Discard the vegetables from the marinade.
- Thinly slice the remaining two onions and two carrots.
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees
- Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in the pot and brown the beef all over. Remove to a platter.
- Add the onions to the pot. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until they caramelize, about 20 minutes or so. Nestle the beef in the onions, pour any meat juices on the platter and the reserved marinade over the beef, add the carrots and herb bundle. Bring all of this to a boil on the stovetop.
- Cover and bake until the beef is tender about 2½ - 3 hours. *To make this ahead the pot can be cooled to room temperature and placed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. heat the contents of the pot to continue.
- Remove the beef to a cutting board and cover with foil.
- Run the sauce through a food mill or strain, pushing on the solids through a strainer.
- Return the pot to the stovetop, heat the butter and whisk in the flour, sugar and salt, cook the roux stirring constantly until lightly browned, about 5 minutes or so. Add the Strained sauce a little at a time, whisking constantly.
- Crumble the gingersnaps by placing them in a bag and crush with a rolling pin or similar tool. Add the gingersnaps and lemon juice to the simmering, sauce and season with salt and pepper. Return the beef to the sauce then simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced.
- Make the latkes as directed.
- When ready to serve, place the beef to a cutting board and thinly slice.
- Place 2 - 3 latkes on a warmed plate, drape a few slices of the beef over the latkes, top with the sauce then sprinkle with the goat cheese, bacon and parsley.
- Enjoy!

What an interesting recipe! When I read poutine I was expecting french fries smothered in cheese and gravy!
LOL.
I know..isn’t it fun they forbid us from using french fries?
That sounds delicious. I Love poutine and have never had one like this before. YUM.
The creativity in this contest was amazing. Check it out here: http://foodandwineconference.com/idaho-potato-commission-recipe-contest-for-national-sunday-supper-month/
HAHAH…now this is an interesting take on poutine. Being from Canada…this I have not heard of. I think you have an original there for sure.
I don’t know – we were not allowed to use French fries. Check out the different preparations – it’s amazing: http://foodandwineconference.com/idaho-potato-commission-recipe-contest-for-national-sunday-supper-month/
Loving this blog—
Thank you Deborah! That means so much to me!!!!
I have never heard of this before but it looks delicious. The whole meal and table setting looks lovely too.
Thanks Rebecca!
I am not familiar with either recipe but they both sound and look amazing! What savory dishes!
Thank you!
So positive that gravy would make my FIL happy. We had something similar in Frankenmuth. 🙂
The gravy is the bomb…even my French friend loves it and that is saying something!
I have never heard of Latke before, but it looks delicious! I can’t wait to try your recipe!!!
This looks good for when the next snowstorm comes. I am bookmarking for some yummy comfort food.
Thanks!
I never heard of poutine before. I have to tell you, it really looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing a glimpse of your table!
Thanks Jennifer!
This looks delicious. I could see it being a really good Valentine’s dine-in meal. – Katy
This looks like a very cozy, comfort food recipe. I’ve never heard of Poutine but it looks good.
This sounds so good. I haven’t had this before but it looks fun to make and like it tastes amazing! Thanks