Beef Rouladen / Rinderrouladen

Serving Size, Ingredients and Equipment:

Serves 4 as part of a full meal with side dishes such as mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.

Time required: 2,5 hours

Make this one day ahead of time and reheat them submerged in their own gravy, adding a little water if needed. Reheating in liquid will lend a typical „boiled-meat“ texture also found in other German dishes such as Tafelspitz and Sauerbraten. This dish is all about achieving a certain rich-flavored texture on the plate that combines with the other side dishes.

Equipment: butcher`s twine

- 8 thin slices of beef round (bottom round), flank steak or skirt steak, ideally around 7 inches long, 5 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick

- 4 medium-sized dill pickle spears

- 8 slices of breakfast bacon (or more if slices are small) - this is optional, we find the flavors of the recipe to be rich and complex enough without bacon

- 1 medium white onion, sliced into long, paper-thin slivers (a mandoline can help here)

- 5 tbsp medium Dijon mustard

- 2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

- salt and pepper

- 2 carrots, minced

- 1 celery stalk, minced

- 1 cup red wine

- 1 tbsp tomato paste

- 2 cups beef stock

- 1 bay leaf

Cooking Instructions and Methods:

- Spread the thin slices of meat onto your working surface and brush a layer of mustard onto each

- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper

- Add a slice or slices of bacon to each piece of meat (optional)

- Place onion slices and pickle in the center of each meat slice, not far from one of the ends

- Fold the sides of the slices over the pickle and onions, then roll and secure each side of the roll with butcher`s twine.

- On medium-high heat, add ghee to a pan and sear the Rouladen on all sides and ends (about two minutes per side). For best results, make sure there is plenty of space in the pan and sear in batches.

- Set the Rouladen aside and add the following to the pan drippings: any leftover onion, two minced carrots, one minced celery stalk and the tablespoon of tomato paste. Ocassionally stir until browned, then deglaze with a little wine. Repeat this process three times. Add any remaining wine at the end.

- Add the 2 cups of beef stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low (level 1), add the Rouladen to the liquid and cover.

- Cook for 6 hours.

- You can remove the Rouladen from the liquid and finish preparing the gravy the following day: in a separate sauce pan, prepare a roux to your desired level of brown. Whisk in the cold gravy liquid and bring to a boil to thicken.