Beef Rouladen

This Beef Rouladen recipe features thinly sliced beef wrapped around bacon, pickles, carrots, and onion then braised in a red wine gravy until it's fall-apart-tender. This German comfort food will warm your soul!

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time3 hrs

Total Time3 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 10

Equipment

Toothpicks

6 Quart Dutch Oven

Ingredients

Beef Rouladen

3 pound beef rouladen

3 ounce keens hot mustard

2 medium onions shredded or finely chopped

3 medium carrots peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch sticks

6 pickles cut into 1/4 inch sticks

2 pound bacon thin cut, cut slices in half

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 teaspoon pepper or to taste

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

Gravy

4 cups water or more as needed

¾ cup red wine such as Cabarnet Sauvignon or Malbec

1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

Prep the beef: If your beef comes in fairly long pieces, cut them in half, we're looking for pieces that are about 4x4-inches (roughly cut).

Prepare the rouladen: Easiest way to do this is to assemble a bunch of rouladen at once, as in an assembly line (see picture above), so lay the pieces of beef on a cutting board, as many as you can fit. Start by spreading about a teaspoon of mustard on each piece of beef, followed by a tsp of onion, a piece of bacon, season with a bit of salt and pepper. Next add a piece of carrot and pickle, you may add 2 of each, depending how big they are. Roll them up and secure each rouladen with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Sear the rouladen: Heat a bit of the vegetable oil in a frying pan or skillet. Add a few rouladen to the skillet, about 6 or so depending on the size of your skillet, but don't overcrowd. Sear the rouladen on all sides. Transfer the seared rouladen to a large Dutch oven that's oven safe and has a lid.

Make the gravy: In that same skillet make gravy from the drippings. In a bowl whisk together 1 cup of flour with about 3 to 4 cups of water. Pour about 1 cup of this slurry in the skillet with the drippings. Whisk until it starts to thicken and the flour cooks a bit then add about 1/4 cup of red wine. Continue cooking for a couple more minutes while whisking, then pour this gravy over the seared rouladen in the Dutch oven. Clean the skillet and repeat with remaining ingredients. You might need to do this in 3 or 4 batches. There should be enough gravy to cover all the rouladen.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and position your rack in the middle.

Bake: Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Bake for about 2½ to 3 hours.

Notes

I got about 30 rouladen from this recipe and usually you can serve 3 rouladen per serving.

Your rouladen will last 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Make sure to store your rouladen covered with the gravy. I know it may seem like a ton of gravy that you end up with, but it's a great way to make sure your rouladen doesn't dry out.

Reheat either in the microwave, or covered in the oven at 375F until heated through. When reheating, use lots of the gravy, again, to prevent your rouladen from drying out.