Authentic German Rouladen

Mellyg · ‎03-16-2020

I made this earlier in the week and DH is still singing my praises. I also shared with a dear friend who is from Germany and she likes it better than her family recipe. So for anyone that may be interested.....

INGREDIENTS

For the Rouladen:
8 slices top round beef, about 4x6 inches in size and 1/4 inch thick (*see note) (ask your butcher), gently pound the slices with a meat mallet until they're a little thinner than 1/4 inch (be careful not to pound holes into them)
1/3 cup German yellow mustard
8 slices bacon
8 medium German pickles , sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow onion , chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Gravy:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium yellow onion , chopped
1 clove garlic , minced
1 small leek , chopped, rinsed and drained in colander
1 large carrot , chopped
1 large celery stalk , chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups strong beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chilled butter
cornstarch or flour dissolved in a little water for thickening (depending on how much gravy liquid there is you'll need about 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of water or 2-3 tablespoons flour dissolved in 1/4 - 1/3 cup water)

INSTRUCTIONS

Lay the beef slices out on a work surface. Spread each beef slices with about 2 teaspoons of mustard and sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a strip of bacon on each beef slice so it's running the same length as the beef. Place the sliced German pickles and chopped onions on each beef slice. Roll up the beef slices, tucking in the sides as best you can and securing the beef rolls with toothpicks or cooking twine.
Heat the butter and oil in a heavy Dutch oven or pot (make sure it's oven-safe if baking in the oven) and generously brown the rouladen on all sides. Browning them well will ensure a rich and flavorful gravy. Set the rouladen aside on a plate.
*Do not remove the browned bits in the bottom of the pan (important for a flavorful gravy): Add the onions to the pot and a little more butter or oil if needed. Cook the onions until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the leek, carrots and celery and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine, bring to a rapid boil for one minute, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2-3 more minutes. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, sugar, salt and pepper.
Nestle the beef rouladen in the pot.

Oven or Stovetop: You can cook the rouladen, covered, on the stovetop on low for about 90 minutes or until fork tender, but for the most even cooking we recommend transferring the pot (make sure it's oven-safe) to the oven preheated to 325 F and cook it there for about 90 minutes or until fork tender.
To Make the Rouladen Gravy:

When the beef is fork tender, remove the rouladen from the pot and set aside. Pour the liquid and vegetables through a strainer and reserve the liquid. (You can eat the veggies on the side or puree them in the blender and then return them to the gravy.) Return the strained liquid back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Thicken the gravy either with either a cornstarch slurry (for a clear/translucent gravy) or flour slurry (for an opaque gravy). For a creamy gravy you can also add a few tablespoons of heavy cream at this point. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the gravy is thickened.

Add the chilled butter, whisking constantly, until the butter is melted and incorporated. Add salt, pepper and mustard to taste. Note: If you prefer a creamy gravy you can stir in some heavy cream.

Carefully remove the toothpicks or cooking twine from the rouladen and return them to the gravy and heat through.

***To give credit where due, the recipe originated from Kimberly Killebrew @ The Daring Gourmet

deepwaterdotter · ‎03-09-2010

I make my beef rouladen with flank steak from a recipe I saved from an old issue of Cook's Country. Not sure how "authentic" it is:

6 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion

5 tbsp chopped dill pickles, patted dry

2 tbsp dill pickle juice

1 1/2 lb flank steak, pounded 1/2" thick

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cups beef broth

1/4 cup flour

Fry bacon in big skillet until crisp. Save bacon in bowl for later. Save 1/4 cup bacon grease for later. Cook onion in 1 tbsp reserved grease until browned. Stir onions and pickles in bowl with bacon.

Pat steak dry. Brush one side with 2 tbsp mustard, leaving 1/2" border at edges. Spread bacon mixture over mustard. Starting at longer edge, roll tightly and tie with twine at 1" intervals. Sprinkle with pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp reserved grease in skillet and brown rolled meat on all sides. Place meat in 9x13" baking dish and pour in broth. Tightly cover with foil. Roast in 325 degree oven until tender, 1 1/2-1 3/4 hours. (I check tenderness by poking with a fork.)

Place roast on platter and save pan juices. Heat rest of grease in saucepan and stir in flour until golden. Whisk in saved pan juices and bring to boil. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened. Off heat, stir in pickle juice and rest of mustard.

tucsongal · ‎03-10-2010

Many years ago I had a patient who was German and she taught me how to make this(a simpler recipe). I had totally forgotten until I saw this so thanks for the memory 🙂

Mellyg · ‎03-16-2020

The pickle juice would be delightful in your recipe @deepwaterdotter! I ended up using flap steak, which I don't think I've ever bought (I was at Whole Foods and it was the best option). It was very tender, but I think flank would've been the ideal option!

Im glad it brought up a good memory @tucsongal ! It's not something I typically make, either. I told DH to not expect it regularly, lol!

Twins Mom · ‎04-03-2016

This was Christmas dinner, just a bit simpler recipe from DM. My butcher has thin breakfast steaks that work perfectly. I use metal picks about 5 inches long to hold in rolled position. I had them from Germany but as family grew I needed more. DD found them at Amazon with twine so I think they are meant for chicken. I only use needles, not twine.

Delicious meal. Thanks for sharing your recipe.