Klara’s Rouladen

Rouladen is a classic German dish that tantalizes the taste buds with its rich flavors and tender texture. Thinly sliced beef is rolled around a savory filling of mustard, bacon, onions, and pickles, then braised to perfection in a robust gravy, creating a hearty and satisfying meal typically enjoyed with mashed potatoes or red cabbage.

Ingredients

• Meat
• 8 slices top round beef, about 4x6 inches in size and 1/4 inch thick
• 1/3 cup mustard ¹
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 onion ²
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Tooth picks or food quality string
• Roux
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Gravy
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced or chop into small pieces)
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• Drippings from pan of cooked meat ³
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Substitutions

1. For: 1/3 cup mustard use: Use mustard with horseradish or Lowensenf
2. For: 1 onion use: Use wedges so people can easily remove the onion after cooking if they don’t like it
3. For: Drippings from pan of cooked meat use: Add 1-2 c beef broth depending on volume of meat drippings

Instructions

1. Meat
2. Gently pound the slices with a meat mallet or ladle until they're a little thinner than 1/4 inch.
3. Lay the beef slices out on a clean work surface. Spread each beef slice with about 2 teaspoons of mustard and sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a strip of bacon and piece of onion on each beef slice so it's running the same length as the beef. Roll up the beef slices, tucking in the sides as best you can and securing the beef rolls with toothpicks or cooking string.
4. 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 meat on all sides. Do NOT clean the pan. The beef drippings become the basis for the gravy. Set the rouladen aside on a plate.
5. Add the onions and garlic to the pan (or pot) and a little more butter or oil if needed. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for another minute. 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. Mix melted butter with enough flour to create a paste. Add beef broth as needed, salt and pepper to taste. Add paste to thicken gravy to your preference.
6. Nestle the beef rouladen in the pot and cook on low until meat is tender or at 150-160 degrees, about 30 minutes or more.
7. Roux
8. Melt your butter and mix thoroughly with the flour to make a thick pasty roux. Set aside until gravy pan was deglazed.
9. Gravy
10. Combine butter, oil, onion, garlic, and mushrooms and cook down on medium heat until onions are clear. Be careful to not scorch the garlic. This is best done in the pan used to cook the meat.
11. Deglaze the pan using the red wine. Stir constantly until slight simmer.
12. Add roux and stir constantly until thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer until the gravy just coat the back of a spoon. Serve with meat while hot.

Prep time: 35 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Serves: 8 Servings

Category: Dinner

Cuisine: German

Updated: 1 month ago