Unlock the Flavors of German Style Beef Rouladen

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Sink your teeth into a hearty and savory meal with our German Style Beef Rouladen. Perfectly seasoned beef, rolled and simmered in a rich gravy is a hearty crowd-pleasing dinner.

 

I am trying to cook from my roots.  There’s German on one side of the family and maybe both but that’s not completely confirmed.  I’ve been working on a roulade recipe for a while.  Same with a braciole recipe.  I made a chicken thigh braciole and a skillet braciole, but a slow braised braciole in sauce is still in the works. 

 

When I found out about roulade, I had to try my hand at making this interesting and delicious dinner.  To me, it’s similar to braciole on method.  You just swap out the filling and the sauce.  For me, the thought of putting mustard and pickles inside a thin piece of beef sounded too interesting not to make.

 

 

Where does Beef Rouladen come from?

 

It’s definitely a European dish.  But where in Europe it started is up in the air.  Some say it’s based on the French roulade, and some swear it’s part of Silesia cuisine in Poland.  It might be a bit or both.  Or it could be that Eastern Europeans took the concept of the roulade, incorporated whatever ingredients they had on hand, and created a meal that was simple and delicious.  We’ve all been there, right?

 

A written recipe has appeared in a Germany in the 1700s.  Since beef was expensive at the time the dish was served mainly to nobility who could afford the beef needed for this recipe.  It could also explain why there’s venison and pork versions of this dish, too. 

 

 

What cuts of beef do you use for roulade?

 

Traditional recipes use top round or sirloin pounded very thin.  Thankfully, I don’t have to do any of that.  My grocery store serves up a couple of types of thin sliced beef for just such a recipe.  I used a thin sirloin tip steak for my recipe.  Sirloin has good marbling and flavor for a recipe like this.  The other type they call Milanesa.  It’s more of thin cut round or chuck cut of beef with less marbling but just as much flavor.  Both hold up well in low and slow braising and pressure cooking which is how I cooked mine.

 

Traditional cuts of beef include top round or sirloin.  They are both lean cuts that benefit from the slow cooking process making them more tender and delicious. These cuts also provide a nice balance of flavor without being too tough or fatty. The success of your rouladen is the thinness of the beef, so be sure to find a nicely marbled thin cut of beef.

 

 

What pickles do you use for roulade?

 

Traditionally, recipes often call for dill pickles.  This makes for slightly sour and tangy pickle to pair with the mustard and bacon.  I’ve tried this recipe with bread and butter pickles.  They’re sort in between a sweet and dill pickle.  It made the rouladen less tangy and allowed the other flavors to come through more than with dill pickles. 

 

Some recipes call for gherkins, but I think that’s too sweet for me.  I only like sweet pickles with tuna sandwiches or as nibbles for the holidays.  However, you could combine both dill and gherkins in the same roll for an interesting twist.

 

 

What kind of mustard do you use for roulade?

 

More authentic German recipes use a traditional German mustard such as Düsseldorf which, to me, is like a combination of Dijon and yellow mustard.  I used a combination of Inglehoffer stone ground mustard and yellow for a delicious combination of flavors.  It had the perfect combination of rich grainy mustard flavor and tangy yellow mustard flavor.  You if you’re using gherkins you could try a sweet hot mustard.  Or try yellow mustard and a spicy dill pickle.

 

Ingredients You’ll Need for the Perfect German Style Rouladen

 

Aside from the beef, pickles, and mustard, this recipe calls for low sodium bacon and onion that go into the beef with the pickles.  The sauce is made with carrots, leeks, celery, rosemary and thyme along with red wine and beef broth.  I made a sour cream gravy with the braising liquid for added tang and creaminess.

 

 

How do you make this rouladen recipe?

 

Since I purchased a thin cut sirloin I didn’t need to pound anything thin.  If you don’t have those available, then you may need to get to pounding to get yours to about 1/4” thick.  I combined the mustards together in a bowl, thinly sliced the onions, and separated out the bacon slices.  I chopped the carrots, leeks, and celery for the sauce and set them aside.  If your pickles are large, you may want to cut them in half. 

 

Working with one slice of meat at a time, brush it with the mustard mixture then sprinkle some onions on top.  Then place a layer of bacon on top of the onions and then top with a pickle or pickle half if you cut them in two.  Carefully roll the beef up and secure with toothpicks or wrap in butchers twine.  Repeat with the remaining beef and ingredients.  Set your cooker to sauté on high.  Add some oil to the pot and brown the roulade on all sides.  Remove to a plate and keep warm.

 

 

Add the carrots, celery, and leeks to the pan and sauté until they start to soften.  Add the wine to the pan and simmer until reduced by half.  Return the roulade to the pan along with any juices on the plate.  Pour in the beef broth and add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme.  Set the cooker to pressure cook on high.  Secure the lid and cook for 20 minutes. 

 

Allow for natural release before setting to sauté on high again.  Carefully remove the roulade to a plate and keep warm while you make the sauce.  Combine the sour cream with the flour and stir into the liquid with a whisk.  Return the roulade to the pan and continue to simmer until thickened.  Serve with buttered noodles and sautéed cabbage.

 

 

What does this German style beef roulade taste like?

 

It has such a rich and unique flavor.  First there’s the beef with the smokey and salty bacon.  Then you get the tang from the onions, mustard, and pickles.  The smoky with the tangy and the richness of beef is a flavor explosion in your mouth. 

 

Then there’s the sauce.  I made mine with sour cream, but you can go the tomato route which is more traditional.  The sour cream gravy adds to the tang of the whole dish.  I liked it, but I don’t think the hubs did.  Of course, he’s not a fan of sour cream so there’s that. 

 

You could forgo the sour cream gravy and make a more traditional tomato based gravy.  Add some tomato paste to the pan and cook it a little bit before adding in the wine and the broth.  When the rouladen is cooked, make a slurry with flour and water, whisk it into the broth, and simmer until thickened.

Pleasant Pickle Recipes

• Best Refrigerator Dill Pickles from Jen Around the World
• Easy Dill Pickle Dip from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• German Style Rouladen from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Hot Mix Pickles from That Recipe
• Quick Pickled Cherry Tomatoes from Art of Natural Living

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