The origin of the word 'roulade' might be French but Rinderrouladen served in a red wine sauce, which are slices of beef rolled up with a special filling
and in English often called Rolled Beef or Beef Rolls, are a favorite and traditional German meal that used to appear only on Sundays, or for special occasions. Now however it is served throughout Germany at any time of the week or year, but especially during the autumn and winter months.
This is a family German Beef Rolls recipe and is great to make a day ahead, not only as it makes life easier for entertaining or for 'meals in a rush', but because the seasonings have a chance to blend making a subtle difference to the flavor.
For this beef recipe the beef top round or flank steak slices should be about 3/8 inch thick. Because the larger the pieces are the easier it is to roll them up, each roulade should be at least 6 inches by 4 inches, while to make sure that no holes appear in the meat the floured slices should be pounded carefully on a floured board until each has a thickness of around 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Two smaller pieces can also be 'seamed together by pounding.
Rinderrouladen - A German 'Beef Rolls' Recipe
Ingredients:
The Beef Rolls
6 slices beef top round or flank steak
6 strips thinly sliced lean bacon
1 red or white onion, sliced thinly and the slices separated into rings - if a very large onion cut the rings in half
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. butter which gives additional flavour or vegetable oil if you prefer
Mustard - German, Dijon or strong not sweet mustard
Salt and black pepper to taste, freshly ground if possible
The Sauce
1 finely chopped white onion
1 finely chopped celery stalk
1 large finely chopped carrot
1/2 litre, just over 2 cups, vegetable broth
250 ml, just over 1 cup, dry red wine
1 to 2 tablespoons mustard (German mustard, Dijon mustard or a strong not sweet mustard)
2 Bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Cornflour or all purpose flour
Sour Cream optional
Instructions:
The Rinderrouladen
Season beef slices with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread mustard thinly on one side of each slice.
Lightly fry bacon and onion slices, until cooked through but not browned, add finely chopped parsley stir through so it leaves a slight coating on the mixture and cook for additional minute.
Place one piece bacon, onion slices and parsley at one end of each slice of beef.
Roll up the beef slices tightly, first folding the sides over the mixture and rolling up along the length as you would a burrito, then secure the roll with skewers, wooden cocktail sticks that have been pre-soaked in water, or cooking string.
Heat butter or oil in pan and, making sure they are not crowded so close together that they touch one another or cannot move, brown rouladen
on all sides. If necessary more butter or vegetable oil can be added.Remove rouladen from pan and place into final cooking pan or dish
The Sauce
Using pan in which Beef Rolls were cooked, add more butter or oil if necessary and lightly fry chopped onions, celery and carrots until soft but not browned
Add the vegetable broth, red wine, bay leaves and peppercorns and stir well, being sure to scrape up any remnants left behind from the cooking of the rouladen
Add mustard, stir through and continue to stir on medium heat bringing to just below boiling point
Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes
Remove from heat, allow to cool, remove bay leaves and put sauce through sieve
Add sieved sauce to beef rolls in dish or pan, making sure that they are covered, and cook either on stove top over medium heat until tender when pierced with wooden cocktail stick or fork, about two hours, or in oven at 350 degrees F for two hours or until done.
Allow to cool, remove skewers, cocktail sticks or cooking string and place in refrigerator, leave rouladen marinating in sauce overnight if possible.
Final Step
Reheat beef rolls gently in the liquid, either in oven or on stove top using medium heat.
When heated thoroughly and ready to serve place rouladen on warmed plate or dish.
Depending on density you wish sauce to be, take tablespoon, or more, of cornstarch or all purpose flour and mix to a paste with spoonful of cold water, add this to the hot sauce then stirring continually over a medium heat bring to boil, simmer for three to four minutes while continuing to stir as it thickens. Additional seasoning and sour cream to taste can be added at this stage if wished, and the sauce brought back to temperature.
Pour sauce into dish and serve with your rouladen.
In Germany Rinderrouladen are typically served with Rotkraut and Kartoffelknoedel, red cabbage and potato dumplings, but they go just as well with Spaetzle, or any noodles, mashed potato or a favourite vegetable. While as a regional specialty in some parts of the country thin slices of dill pickle are added to the sliced beef, after it has been coated with mustard but before the cooked bacon onion filling mixture is added.
Guten Appetit!.....And enjoy your Rinderrouladen
German cuisine is diverse, Even using the same ingredients, food served on one side of the country is often very different from a meal produced in a different region, and 'Spoonsfuls of Germany: Culinary Delights of the German Regions', illustrates this perfectly. A 'must have' for anyone with an interest in Germany's culinary tastes, past and present, with 170 recipes ranging from Mushroom Ragout with Dumplings to Beet Salad with Horseradish dressing, and German mail order food supply sources. |
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