Schwenkbraten is a flavorful German-style grilled pork chop recipe served with caramelized onions. Traditionally, a roast is cut into individual pork steaks, marinated, and grilled on a swinging grill called a Schwenker over beechwood coals.
Schwenkbraten is the perfect make-ahead meal for busy weeknights and casual weekend meals. Marinate the meat in the morning, and by dinnertime, it will be ready to cook. This allows all the delicious, aromatic flavors to infuse into the surface of the meat! You can also pre-slice the onions and store them in an airtight container in the fridge while the chops are marinating. Please note that while you can use any grill to make Schwenkbraten for a truly authentic flavor, we recommend cooking it over charcoal for optimal results.
Ingredients
- 5 bone-in pork chops, about 1″ thick (sub with pork shoulder steaks)
- 3 medium white onions, thinly sliced
- salt to taste
For marinade:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (sub with avocado oil)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 crushed juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon German mustard (sub with Dijon mustard)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (sub with fresh thyme)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust amount to your liking)
How to Make It
Schwenkbraten is a three-step process that begins with a marinade, followed by grilling pork chops, and then cooking the onions. The marinating process can take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. However, you can marinate thin-cut chops for 6 hours.
Marinating Schwenkbraten
- Prepare the marinade: Combine vegetable oil with minced garlic, crushed juniper berries, German mustard, dried herbs, curry powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Marinate the chops: Place the chops in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade mixture over the top and massage it into the chops. Release the air from the bag, seal it, and place it in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
- Slice the onions up to 12 hours in advance and keep them stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
Grilling Schwenkbraten
- Grill set-up: Prepare your two-zone fire on your charcoal grill. This means banking hot coals to one side, which creates two separate cooking spaces: indirect (the cooler side at 300°F) and direct (the hot side at 450°F or more).
- If you are using a different type of outdoor grill, please set it up according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Season chops with salt: Remove the pork chops from the resealable bag and reserve the marinade. Season chops with salt.
- Cook the chops: Place the chops on the cooler, indirect side of the grill, and cook for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Cook the onions: During the halfway mark, place a cast-iron skillet on the hot, direct side of the grill. Once heated through, add the sliced onions and the reserved marinade to the skillet. Cook until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Watch for burning and move the skillet over the cooler part of the grill if needed.
- Reverse sear: Once the internal temperature of the chops reaches 140°F, transfer them to the hot side of the grill to reverse-sear for 2 minutes per side. The doneness temperature should be 145°F.
- Serve: Remove the chops and onions from the grill, and promptly plate them and serve.
Serving Schwenkbraten
Serve your chops with onions on top in sandwich buns or as a main dish with tomato salad, dinner rolls, German-style potatoes, or a mustard potato salad.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover Schwenkbraten in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop for best results. You can also freeze it and thaw it in your refrigerator overnight, then reheat it as mentioned above.
More Recipes!
- 5 bone-in pork chops about 1 inch thick
- 3 medium white onions thinly sliced (sub with yellow onions)
- salt to taste
- For marinade:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil sub with avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 crushed juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon German mustard sub with Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust amount to your liking)
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Prepare the marinade: Combine vegetable oil with minced garlic, crushed juniper berries, German mustard, dried herbs, curry powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a small bowl.
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Place the chops in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade mixture over the top and massage it into the chops. Release the air from the bag, seal it, and place it in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
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Slice the onions up to 12 hours in advance and keep them stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
-
Prepare your two-zone fire on your charcoal grill. This means banking hot coals to one side, which creates two separate cooking spaces: indirect (the cooler side at 300°F) and direct (the hot side at 450°F or more).If you are using a different grill, please set it up according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
-
Remove the pork chops from the resealable bag and reserve the marinade. Season chops on both sides with salt.
-
Place the chops on the cooler, indirect side of the grill, and cook for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
-
During the halfway mark, place a cast-iron skillet on the hot, direct side of the grill. Once heated through, add the sliced onions and the reserved marinade to the skillet. Cook until the onions are golden brown and caramelized. Watch for burning and move the skillet over the cooler part of the grill if needed.
-
Once the internal temperature of the chops reaches 140°F, transfer them to the hot side of the grill to reverse-sear for 2 minutes per side. The doneness temperature should be 145°F.
-
Remove the chops and onions from the grill, and promptly plate them and serve.
-
Serve your chops with onions on top in sandwich buns or as a main dish with tomato salad, dinner rolls, German-style potatoes, or a mustard potato salad.
-
Store leftover Schwenkbraten in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop for best results. You can also freeze it and thaw it in your refrigerator overnight, then reheat.
Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg
