Beef Rouladen

German Beef Rolls Stuffed with Mustard, Pickles & Bacon in a Beer Gravy … adapted slightly from Quick German Recipes

Who else but the Germans would think of stuffing a roll of meat with mustard, pickles and bacon?

This is the entree I made for our German cooking class. I was totally intrigued from the moment I saw this recipe and knew that this was definitely the thing I wanted to make for our culinary trip to Germany.  I had to make it the week before, you know, just to make sure it was good, and then a BIG batch for the cooking class. I thought I made enough for 10 – 12 people–we had a small class (only 5 showed) and they CHOWED these down. By the end of class, there were only 2 little rouladen left. In retrospect, I think I’m glad I didn’t have a big class!

I used to stress when there were a smaller number in my cooking class, but when that happens, it’s more of a group of friends getting together to cook and talk about food and I love it. That’s what this class turned out to be. Very fun, very casual, very delicious. We all relaxed and cooked together and had so much fun.

And oh by the way: these lovely rolls of meat don’t necessarily need to be made with beef. Venison or antelope or elk are perfectly wonderful substitutes for beef in this recipe … the long cooking times and pounding of the meat totally tenderize it, and the flavors from the filling really infuse the dish so it is completely infused with delightful flavors.  I totally recommend the Trader Joe’s mustard Aioli, but if you are not near a Trader Joe’s, use any good garlicky mustard.

Beef Rouladen (German Beef Rolls Stuffed with Pickles & Bacon)

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 - 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 6 slices lean top round, cut about 3/8 inch thick (or other red meat roast such as venison or antelope, sliced 3/8 inch thick–I recommend grass-fed beef or wild game)
• 3 slices lean bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic dill pickles, chopped
• Trader Joe’s mustard aioli (or other garlicky mustard)
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 – 2 cups Oktoberfest beer
• 1– 2 Tablespoons cornstarch

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Instructions

1. Season each slice of meat on both sides with salt & freshly ground pepper. Spread a thin layer of mustard on each slice, then sprinkle with bacon, pickle and onion. Roll up each slice, securing with skewers, toothpicks or thread.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and brown the rouladen on all sides, giving each beef roll plenty of room so they brown nicely. Set the browned rouladen on a plate while you brown the rest.
3. Once they are all browned, remove all rouladen and add the beer, gently stirring up the browned bits on the bottom. Return the rolls to the pan, cover and simmer for 90 minutes.
4. Remove the beef rolls from the pan and cover. Scoop out about ¼ cup of the cooking liquid into a bowl. Whisk the cornstarch into the liquid.
5. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, add a bit of the cornstarch to the liquid. Stir and cook, adding more of the cornstarch mixture as needed until the liquid is a nice gravy. Season the gravy if needed with salt & freshly ground pepper. Serve the Rouladen over potatoes or potato dumplings, with the gravy.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Tuesday’s Table, Treasure Box Tuesday, The Wednesday Roundup, Hearth & Soul Bloghop and Clever Chicks Bloghop.