Schweinebraten (also Schweinsbraten in Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland), is a traditional dish of roasted or braised pork commonly found in central Europe. The dish typically utilizes various cuts of pork, including the well-marbled neck (Schopf), lean loin (Karree), shoulder, and ham. The meat is usually seasoned with spices, including caraway, pepper and garlic, and roasted together with aromatic and root vegetables such as carrots, celery, and onions.
Regional variations include:
- Bavarian Schweinsbraten, which is usually served with a dark beer sauce, coleslaw, and bread or potato dumplings.
- Austrian Schweinsbraten, seasoned with garlic and caraway seeds, and roasted until the skin becomes crispy (called Krustenbraten), typically served with coleslaw or sauerkraut, and bread or potato dumplings
- Czech vepřová pečeně, when served with sauerkraut and dumplings, is considered the national dish, called vepřo-knedlo-zelo. The seasoning is similar to the Austrian preparation but it is always accompanied with large, bready Böhmische Knödel (Bohemian dumplings).