|Spießbraten|

On that cold day of December 3rd, I embarked on the most imposing of journeys one can undertake in the Weihnachtsmarkt; I began the long, treacherous yet delicious odyssey into the world of German meats. My starting point? The heavyweight contender known as Spießbraten.

There’s something of a mystery to Spießbraten. It has a taste and texture that is completely unique, but reached through means so… ordinary, that one finds it difficult to come to terms with the juxtaposition. Essentially, the thick meat slab (which can be pork or beef, but is most often pork loin) is cooked over a wood-flame grill suspended from the ceiling. It looks like this:

The meat is prepared beforehand in a marinade of onions, garlic, salt and pepper. That’s it. They chop up some onions, throw some salt and pepper in there, and let the meat sit with it for 12 hours. Then just before grilling, they push little pieces of onion and garlic into the meat. Boom, it’s done. Yet somehow, some way, this simple slab of meat in a fresh baked roll tastes like it’s been doused in a secret sauce handed down by the gods. The meat is tender and has a taste all it’s own. It’s moderately filling but you could definitely eat two if you’re hungry enough, and like most things in the Weihnachtsmarkt, it’s also fairly inexpensive.

I knew going in that I would enjoy Spießbraten, but I didn’t expect to be genuinely surprised by the amount of flavor it has packed into it. As the rains continued and the month stretched ahead in a vision of countless more delights to come, I finished the first of many sweet, sweet meats offered by the Weihnachtsmarkt.

Spießbraten Scores

Taste  🎄🎄🎄🎄

Price  🎄🎄🎄    

Fullness  🎄🎄🎄