Recipe: Rouladen / Rindsrouladen / Rinderrouladen (7 recipes)

This is one of those highly variable (and may I add, very google-able- try searching "German Rouladen," "Rindsrouladen," "Rinderrouladen" or "Rouladen Hausfrauenart") recipes. What you ask is like asking for an authentic pot pie, spaghetti sauce, or pot roast recipe- the dish made differently between each family, what region of Germany families come from, and depending on what ingredients are available. With that in mind, you may want to experiment with the following options:

Fillings can include pickles (dill, garlic, sour, sometimes more than one kind) while some areas of Germany don't use pickles at all and others use sauerkraut instead, onions, bacon/speck/pork belly in strips or chopped or other ground meat mixtures some omit the bacon entirely, different combinations of herbs (in particular, fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, or dill), any kind of mustard from mild dijon to extra hot, sometimes dairy products to add more moisture, breadcrumbs (like rye), raw carrot, horseradish, and capers. Classic recipes most often call for generous amounts of spicy/hot/sharp mustard.

Gravy or sauce can be a simply pan gravy made in the dish the rolls were cooked in, or with additional seasonings and spices (paprika, nutmeg, clove, marjoram, bay leaves, juniper berries, thyme all make appearances), minced vegetables, made creamy with dairy product stirred in at the end of cooking (creme fraiche/sour cream) or more tart with wine or vinegar added. Additional flavor enhancers can include tomato paste, ketchup, commercial soup powder, and sometimes the sauce includes marrowbones. Cooking time can vary between half an hour and over three hours.

It's likely the women used whatever brands of pickle and mustard that were available locally, probably dill pickles and hot mustard. As for the cut of beef, more than one can be used- they vary mostly on price. Traditionally, cheap cuts of meat were used, but a safe bet is thin slices of top round, trimmed of fat.

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GERMAN BEEF ROULADE

2 1/2 lbs lean high-quality beef round steak, cut into 8 equal rectangular sections and pounded flat
8 tablespoons yellow mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped (may use dill relish)
1/4 cup oil, for frying
3 1/2 cups hot water, to cover (or hot beef broth)
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (for serving)
wooden toothpick (or may use cooking twine or white thread for securing rouladen)

Spread 1 tablespoon mustard evenly on one side of each pounded steak. Sprinkle salt and pepper over mustard. Evenly sprinkle chopped bacon, onion, and pickles over mustard side of each steak. Roll up firmly jelly roll fashion (with filling to inside, starting at narrow end), and secure each rouladen shut (so filling stays in) with wooden toothpicks, cooking twine, or white sewing thread.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the cooking oil over medium-high heat. When hot, carefully add the rouladen rolls. Fry until nicely browned, turning once (about 7 minutes per side). Add enough hot water or broth to almost cover the rouladen. Add bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours on low heat, checking once halfway through to give a stir and see that meat is covered with sufficient liquid (you may add a little hot water at this point, if necessary).

With a large slotted spoon, carefully remove the rouladen from the hot broth to an oven-proof dish; cover with foil and keep warm in the oven while making the gravy.

TO MAKE GRAVY:
Add the flour to 1 cup of water in a large measuring cup, whisking briskly with a fork to blend. Pour the flour mixture all at once into the hot broth, using a wire whisk to blend. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and stir them into the gravy. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring gravy mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk and boil for two to three minutes, until gravy thickens. Reduce heat to low, and remove the bay leaf. Adjust seasoning to taste.

TO SERVE:
(Note: Remove toothpicks and twine or thread before serving). Using a large slotted spoon, carefully place the rouladen into the hot gravy; cover, and warm through for a few minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Good sides are boiled new potatoes or potato dumplings sprinkled with fresh snipped parsley, and German Rotkohl (Red Cabbage) or Country Green Beans with Bacon and Onion.

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SIMPLE BEEF ROULADE

4 slices of sirloin tip, about 8-inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick
Mustard (Grey Poupon Dijon recommended)
1 medium onion, quartered
2 dill pickles, halved (Claussen's are recommended)
4 slices bacon folded in half
Salt and pepper
Sour cream, few mushrooms and a tomato are optional (I like them for nice gravy)

After you pat dry the meat, put each slice on the counter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then spread some mustard on each slice and add 1 slice of bacon folded in half, then 1/2 pickle and 1/4 onion. Roll end to end and wrap some dental floss as if to make a package.

Pat dry again and brown in a pan just large enough to hold all rolls side by side. Turn until nicely browned. Then add water just to cover. You may add a tomato and a few mushrooms if you like. Simmer until tender. Remove floss.

Thicken gravy with flour and add a little sour cream. Replace rouladen and serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable.

Berliner's prefer carrots and peas mixed, green beans or red cabbage with this meat

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FAMILY RECIPE FOR ROULADEN

1 lb. round steak, cut thin (not more than 1/3-inch thick)
6 (about) slices of bacon, cut in small pieces
3/4 cup chopped onion
Dijon mustard
1 large or 2 small Dill Pickles, cut in narrow strips
String or toothpicks for securing rolls
Flour for dredging, seasoned with salt and pepper
Beef stock plus red wine (optional)
Oil or shortening for browning

FOR THE SLURRY FOR THICKENING GRAVY:
1 /2 cup cornstarch or flour
1 cup water.

Chop the bacon into small pieces. Cut the steak into pieces about 2x4-inches. Pound the strips with a mallet or meat tenderizing tool until very thin and pliable; they will also be a little larger. Season the strips with salt and pepper, spread thinly with mustard. Place crosswise on each strip: 1 tablespoon of bacon pieces, about 1 tablespoon chopped onion; and 1 strip of dill pickle. Roll the steak up. Toothpick the steak as the picks are parallel to the steak roll (if you stick it though horizontally you will not be able to brown it properly). Dredge them in flour.

Brown the rolls in olive or vegetable oil, and place them in a baking pot. Add liquid (beef stock and a little red wine, or just water) to a depth of about 1/2-inch in skillet. Cover the pan and simmer, adding liquid as needed. Cook them for about 1 hour, or until the Rouladen are tender.

Remove the rolls to a heated plate. Thicken the gravy with flour or cornstarch. Sour cream or yogurt may be added.

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RINDERROULADEN

4 Rinderrouladen (refers to the cut of beef)
Vegetable oil for frying
Plenty of salt and black pepper
4 large pickles (The German brand Kuehne is recommended for being neither too sour nor too salty)
2 medium onions (each roulade requires a half an onion)
4 teaspoons hot mustard (The German brand Dusseldorf L wensenf is recommended)
6 to 8 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
300 to 400ml of red wine (if it is undrinkable, cheap wine, this translates into the food- use what you would drink)
600ml dark beef stock or pre-made Glace
1 pinch of sugar

Rinse the meat rolls, pat dry. Cut fat edges and knock lightly with a Plattiereisen. Finely chop onions and bacon, cut pickles into thin strips. Salt and pepper the roulades, and brush vigorously each roll over the entire length with at least 1 teaspoon of spicy mustard. Then lay down the bacon, but only on the first two-thirds (from the narrow end) of the meat. Sprinkle onions over the bacon and place the pickle strips. Roll up roulade from the narrow end and secure with a wooden skewer.

Heat oil in an iron or stainless steel pan and fry the roulades, ensuring all 'sides' of the roll brown. Remove the rolls and set aside.

Deglaze the the pan with the red wine, stir and add tomato paste and stock. Insert rolls back and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Season to taste at the end, possibly season with a little cayenne pepper, Hungarian hot paprika or pimette d 'Espelette. If desired, thicken the sauce with flour butter.

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MEATLOAF STUFFED ROULADEN

4 thin beef cuts (look for braciole meat)
Sharp, Grainy or Dijon mustard
1 lb. lean hamburger meat (can be a little less)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 egg
Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, fresh herbs
2 to 3 Tbsp oil or butter
4 oz. red wine
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 cloves
A pinch of sugar (or brown sugar, or sugar substitute)

Assemble the Rouladen, by laying out the four pieces of meat, rinsed and dried, side by side. Spread Dijon mustard on the surface of each. Salt and pepper each. Stir hamburger meat, chopped onion, egg and spices together with fork in a bowl until well mixed. Spread 1/4 of meat mixture on each Roulade. Carefully roll each Roulade up from one short end. Push meat mixture to center (some may fall out - just put it in the pan with the Rouladen). Once rolled, secure the Roulade either with thread, Rouladen clips or pierce through end flap into main part of meat with Rouladen pins or simply a tooth pick.

Heat oil to high in covered pan or large casserole, watching carefully. When hot, place Rouladen carefully into hot oil. Let brown from four sides by turning each Roulade after a couple of minutes.

Once browned, pour in red wine (you can substitute this with beef broth or a beef bouillon cup in water, but why?), add bay leaf and cloves, some more salt (careful if you were using cooking wine - it is highly salt-laden) and pepper and a pinch of sugar. Turn down heat to low, cover and let simmer for at least 90 minutes, but meat will be even more tender if you give it 2-3 hours. Turn from time to time.

Put meat aside on a plate and cover. Taste gravy for more spices needed. Thicken, as desired, with a bit of flour mixed in water or Wondra (much easier). If you aren't ready to serve yet, put Rouladen back in with gravy.

Serve with mashed potatoes and red cabbage or a vegetable of your choice.

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OMA'S ROULADEN

2 lb. brisket or rump, beef, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. mustard
1 or 2 gherkin (sour pickles) or 1 dill pickle
1 onion
2 slices bacon (about 40 grams Speck)
1/2 Tbsp. butter (or Butterschmalz)
1/2 Tbsp. oil (or Butterschmalz)
1 carrot
1 to 2 stalks celery
1/2 cup dry red wine
Bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish

Slice the beef about 1/4-inch thick across the large surface. This can be done with a slicing machine or by the butcher, or by hand with a very sharp knife. This works best when the meat is partially frozen.

Lay beef out flat. Cut pickle lengthwise into strips, dice onion and bacon very fine. Spread each slice with mustard, fill one end with 1-2 tablespoons of onion, 2 slices of pickle and some diced bacon. Roll up from the filled end and tie with string (tie like you are wrapping a present or use a modified blanket stitch), or use turkey lacers (in Germany they are called "Rouladennadel") to keep them closed.

Melt the butter and oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven and brown the outside of the roulade in it.

Meanwhile, for the mirepoix, dice the carrot and celery.

Remove the roulades to a plate, add the "Suppengr n" or mirepoix and saute for a few minutes, until soft. Place the beef rolls back on top of the vegetables, add a half cup of red wine and a little water, to make about 1/2 inch of liquid in the pan. Add the bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon of salt (depends on how salty the bacon is) and some grinds of pepper, cover and braise over low heat for two hours, or until beef is tender. Remove beef roulades and keep warm.

Puree sauce and thicken (optional) with a little cream, sour cream or "Wondra" (like Sossenbinder") flour. Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. Place roulades back in sauce until serving time.

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ROULADEN

8 slices of thinly cut beef (ask your butcher to cut Top Round Beef into thin slices - at least 7-inches long and about 4-inches in width. Place the meat between a layer of kitchen wrap and carefully pound it until it is very thin. Be sure that not puncture the meat)
4 tbsp of Dijon mustard
8 slices of thickly cut bacon
2 onion diced
1 jar sweet pickled peppers, finely chopped (juice reserved need for braising)
Kitchen twine
Salt - pepper - paprika
3 to 4 tbsp canola oil
2 cups carrot, diced
1 1/2 cups celeriac, diced (about 1/2)
3 cups leeks sliced (thoroughly washed, and sliced)
2 tbsp tomato paste
Flour
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp corn starch
Salt, Pepper, and Paprika

Assemble Rouladen - lay out the meat flat on your work surface (I usually work two at a time). Carefully rub the meat with a little bit of salt, pepper, and paprika from both sides. Lay down flat and brush the meat (only on the side facing you) liberally with mustard. Then place a slice of bacon on top, sprinkle onions as well as pickled peppers on the meat. Now - working from the bottom to the top - carefully roll the meat up and try to keep the filling inside. The next step is to tie the Roulade - cut a large piece of kitchen twine then place it underneath the Roulade, bring it to the top, go over the ends and tie it in the middle. You have a nice little package. Repeat this step until all the meat is wrapped up.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large - oven proof - Dutch oven. When hot, place two (or more if they fit without crowding the pot) Rouladen in the pot. Sear from all sides until the outside is nicely browned; remove browned meat and set aside. Repeat until all the Rouladen are browned; you may have to add more oil.

Preheat oven to 355 degrees F.

Now add the vegetables (Rouladen are still set aside) and quickly roast them from all sides; add tomato paste and mix it under the vegetables. After a couple of minutes stir the wine into the vegetables and be sure to scrape up all of the bits and pieces. Next add the reserved liquid from the sweet pickled peppers and the bay leaves. Stir up the liquid and the vegetables and bring to a quick boil. Then carefully place the browned Rouladen back into the Dutch oven. Be sure to also pour in all the juices that accumulated while they were resting.

Cover and place in the preheated oven for about 90 minutes. Turn the Rouladen over after about 45 minutes. After 90 minutes remove the pot from the oven; carefully remove the Rouladen, wrap them in aluminum foil and set aside.

Gravy - pour the cooking liquid through a strainer (I use a tightly woven colander) and push as much of the gravy through. Place the gravy back into the Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Place corn starch in a small bowl, and add a couple tablespoons (be careful not to burn yourself) of gravy into it. Stir it up until all lumps are gone - you may have to add a little bit of water as well. Now, carefully stir the corn starch/gravy mixture back into the hot gravy (it should almost be boiling). Lower the heat once the gravy starts to thicken. Adjust salt and pepper. Place the finished Rouladen together with all of their juices back in the gravy. Gently heat for about another ten minutes or so.