Rouladen

Rouladen (German Beef Rolls)

A classic German Sunday-lunch dish: thin slices of beef rolled around bacon, onion and pickle, braised low and slow until fork-tender in a rich, dark gravy. Traditionally served with Rotkohl and Semmelknödel.

Prep

30 min

Cook

90 min

Total

120 min

Serves

4 (2 rolls per person)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •8 slices thin beef steak (top round, flank or rump), cut about 5 mm / ¼ inch thick, roughly 15 × 10 cm / 6 × 4 in each
• •16 strips smoked bacon (durchwachsener Speck), thinly sliced, streaky bacon
• •1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced, divided use
• •4 whole German dill pickles (Gewürzgurken), about 12 cm / 5 in long; do not substitute sweet gherkins
• •4 tsp medium-hot German mustard (Mittelscharfer Senf), or Dijon
• •6 g (¼ cup) plain flour, for dredging
• •2 tbsp neutral oil or clarified butter, for searing
• •200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) dry red wine, or beef broth if avoiding alcohol
• •500 ml (2 cups) beef broth (Rinderfond), low-sodium
• •2 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 bay leaf bay leaf
• •4 whole juniper berries, lightly crushed
• •6 whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
• •2 whole cloves
• •1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• •15 g (1 tbsp) cold butter, optional, to finish the sauce
• •1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water, only if a thicker gravy is desired

Steps

1. 1 Place each beef slice between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound gently with a meat mallet to an even 4 mm / ⅛ inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. 2 Lay a slice flat, season lightly with salt and pepper, and spread ½ tsp mustard evenly over the surface, leaving a 1 cm / ½ in border along one long edge.
3. 3 Lay 2 bacon strips across the slice, sprinkle with about 1 tbsp diced onion, and place a whole pickle at the short end nearest you.
4. 4 Tuck the short sides in over the pickle, then roll tightly away from you into a neat cylinder. Secure with 2–3 toothpicks or tie with kitchen twine. Repeat for all 8 slices.
5. 5 Season the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Dredge each roll in the flour, shaking off the excess.
6. 6 Heat the oil in a wide Dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat. Sear the rolls on all sides until deep brown, about 6–8 minutes total, working in batches so the pan is not crowded. Transfer to a plate.
7. 7 Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of fat. Add the remaining diced onion and the tomato paste to the pan; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the paste darkens.
8. 8 Pour in the red wine and scrape up every browned bit on the pan bottom. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
9. 9 Return the rouladen to the pan and add the beef broth, bay leaf, juniper berries, peppercorns and cloves. The liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the rolls; top up with a little water if needed.
10. 10 Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and braise on low heat (or in a 160 °C / 325 °F oven) for 75–90 minutes, turning the rolls every 20 minutes. They are done when a fork slides in and out with no resistance and an instant-read thermometer reads 90 °C / 195 °F in the centre.
11. 11 Transfer the rolls to a warm serving dish, remove toothpicks/twine, and keep loosely covered.
12. 12 Strain the braising liquid into a small saucepan, skimming off excess fat. Bring to a simmer; if a thicker gravy is wanted, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the cold butter for a glossy finish and adjust salt.
13. 13 Spoon the gravy over the rolls and serve hot with Rotkohl (red cabbage) and Semmelknödel (bread dumplings) or boiled potatoes.