Beef Rouladen (1)
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One of my favorite recollections from my youth is the aroma of Beef Rouladen drifting from my grandmother’s kitchen. Onions, a dill pickle, and thinly sliced beef bacon are used to make these delectable beef roll-ups.

The outcome? This simple recipe features melt-in-your-mouth meat and traditional, hearty tastes. For a delightful dinner, serve beef rouladen with mashed potatoes and a creamy cucumber salad.

Describe Rouladen.

Undoubtedly among the best comfort foods ever!

You probably grew up eating beef Rouladen if you’re from the Northeastern United Areas, particularly states like Pennsylvania, or if you have German ancestry.

The one recipe my grandmother and mother cooked that I longed for was these delicate beef rolls! With pickles and mustard, rouladen is a genuinely traditional German dish that is rolled up, baked, and served with a flavorful sauce.

The hardest thing you’ll have to do is roll up the roulade meat with the other ingredients; the word “roulade” means “to roll” in French. It’s still simple, too!

Beef For Rouladen

Beef Rouladen Easy (1)
Food: Beef Rouladen (Source: Recipes from Europe)

Some grocery stores in my neighborhood offer meat that is marked as “Rouladen.”

Beef chunks should be between 8 and 10 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 1/4 inch thick. You might also use thinly cut flank steak or consult your neighborhood butcher.

Thin round steaks will do in a pinch, but you’ll probably need to layer two to obtain a 10′′ length.

Creating Rouladen

Even though it can seem a little frightening, this recipe is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

  1. The beef slices should be spread out and gently pounded with a meat tenderizer until they are all the same thickness.
  2. Add a whole dill pickle, bacon, onions, and mustard, and roll it up. Fasten it with a toothpick.
  3. Roast until done in a casserole dish with the remaining ingredients after browning the exterior.

If you don’t have time to wait at home while this recipe cooks, consider making it in a slow cooker all day. Apply the same recipe directions and cook on low for 7-8 hours in the slow cooker.

Making the gravy

  • When done, remove from the pan and add the fluids to a stockpot that is already heated to medium.
  • Stirring cornstarch and beef broth together until completely dissolved creates a slurry. Once the liquids in the pan are boiling, mix in a little amount of the slurry and continue cooking until the desired gravy thickness is obtained.
  • Tip: I always make my mom’s rouladen gravy with a can of mushrooms that have been juiced.

Rouladen served with plenty of gravy spooned on top of elbow macaroni is my absolute favorite way to eat it. Of course, it tastes fantastic over rice or mashed potatoes as well.

For Rouladen to Freeze

The rolls can be frozen either before or after cooking in this simple meal. Prepare as instructed, put on a baking sheet, and then freeze. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag.

If using frozen food, let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then prepare as indicated in the recipe.

What to Do with Leftovers

The next day’s leftovers are delicious! Over mashed potatoes or perhaps cauliflower rice, it is the ideal lunch for the office. The roulade can also be chopped up, and the gravy added to a soup!

Beef Rouladen

In this traditional German delicacy, finely sliced beef is rolled around a dill pickle and topped with mustard, bacon, onions, and other tasty toppings.

20 minutes preparation

1 hour 30 minutes to cook

1 hour 50 minutes in total

servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 6 slices beef round or thinly sliced flank steak
  • 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 6 dill pickles
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cups beef broth low sodium
  • ¼ cup pickle juice
  • 1 can mushroom with juice (optional)
  • salt & pepper to taste

gravy

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • mashed potatoes or elbow macaroni for serving

Instructions for Beef Rouladen

Beef Rouladen Yum (1)
Food: Beef Rouladen (Source: Recipes from Europe)
  1. Set the oven to 325 F.
  2. Using a meat tenderizer, spread out the beef slices and gently pound them.
  3. Each slice should have a thin layer of mustard and pepper added.
  4. Over each piece, place bacon. Add onions and a dill pickle on top.
  5. Each Rouladen should be rolled in jelly-roll form and fastened with toothpicks.
  6. Each roll is browned in a pan with hot butter. Toss with broth, canned mushrooms, and 1/4 cup pickle juice in a roasting pan (and extra onions if desired). Roast until fork-tenderness for 90 to 120 minutes.

making gravy

  1. Rouladen should be taken out of the juices, placed on a platter, and covered.
  2. Juices should be heated to boiling over medium-high heat while being careful to scrape out any brown bits.
  3. Cornstarch should be combined with water in an equal proportion. As the broth is heating up, stir in the cornstarch mixture until the required thickness is achieved.
  4. With gravy, serve rouladen over elbow macaroni or mashed potatoes.

Notes

Beef should be 8 to 10 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 1/4 inch thick.

Nutrition information

Calories: 153 | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg