Rouladen - German Beef Roll Ups

My six years living in Germany has enriched me in many ways. I gained dear friends, learned the language and was lucky to experience driving my stick shift BMW on Autobahns, the famous expressways without general speed limit. Woo-hoo! Advisory speed limit is 130 km/hr (81 mph) but it is considered a good sport in Germany to break those limits. However, speed is not the focus of this post. Yep, I will talk about food. Again.

German food took me on a journey through one of the world’s most hearty cuisines. You can dine at a high-end restaurant or grab a bite from a street vendor, either way you’ll be feasting.  But, no meal is complete without meat. Germans are less vegetarian. Put it this way – there’s very little chance you’ll leave Germany feeling hungry.  I blame German food for the extra cushion around my waistline! Oh, and beer. Let’s not forget good German beer! I had no shame rolling out of the bed around midnight, crawling to the kitchen and making pan fried potatoes, Bratkartoffeln, topped with sunny side up egg or two. As a matter of fact, it became a habit and I just made it the other night (not at midnight though). My American husband approved; my Bosnian midsection not so much.

I decided to honor German cuisine for another day and make my favorite German dish, filled beef roll-ups or Rouladen. They are traditionally served with sweet and sour red cabbage, Rotkohl, and either homemade potato dumplings, boiled potatoes or spätzle. The gravy is an absolute requirement to round off the dish and is usually poured over the meat. The ultimate comfort food that is pretty simple to make!

Basically, you spread beef slices with a thin layer of mustard; add a piece of bacon, onion and pickle; season and roll up then braise in oil, add vegetables and cook until done. How easy is that? But if you like to follow more step-by-step instructions here they are:

 

Ingredients:
Serves 4

8 thin cut Beef slices, like brisket (I found very thin slices of Top Round at Wal-Mart that came already prepackaged as 8)

2 small Onions, divided
4 small dill Pickles, halved lengthwise
Yellow Mustard
1 pound Bacon
1 large Carrot, finely chopped
1 Celery stalk, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 Bay leaf, dry
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Butter
2 cups Beef Broth
½ cup dry Red Wine, like Merlot
1 tablespoon Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper

You will also need kitchen twine or toothpicks.

 

Directions:

Cut one onion into slices. I cut it in half, and then halve each half again and so on until I get 8 equal size pieces. Spread each beef slice with mustard (about 1 teaspoon) and season with salt and pepper. Top with bacon and place onion and pickle piece on the wider end.  

Roll up beef tightly from the filled end (fold sides first over the mixture, then roll up lengthwise, like a burrito) holding in place with twine or toothpicks. In a pot, braise Rouladen in oil and butter over high heat until browned on all sides. Remove Rouladen to a plate; add chopped onion, carrot and celery and sauté until soft. Tip: chop all your vegetables the same size. This will ensure they evenly cook in the same amount of time. Place the beef rolls back on top of the vegetables, add beef broth, wine, bay leaf and paprika. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45-60 minutes, or until beef is tender.
 

Remove Rouladen from pot, remove toothpicks or string and let rest. Puree sauce and thicken (optional). Add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to a small cup, add a little bit of cold water to the cup and stir with a fork making a thin paste. Add flour paste to the simmering sauce, stir until sauce is thickened. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Remove sauce from heat and add the sour cream and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (optional) and mix to combine. Return Rouladen to the pot until serving time.