Grandma's Classic Beef Rouladen
Delve into culinary nostalgia with Grandma's classic beef rouladen recipe courtesy of CALLEkocht – Grandma’s Recipes. Tender slices of beef are rolled up with a savory filling and simmered in a rich sauce for a hearty meal that has comfort written all over it.
Ingredients:
For the Rouladen:
- 12 thin slices of topside beef (from the rump), ideally cut by your butcher
- 3 large onions, cut into wedges or slices
- 6 pickled cucumbers, cut into strips
- 12 slices of bacon (or fatback for an even richer taste)
- Mustard (use medium-hot or as desired)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Sauce:
- Carrots, diced
- Celery, diced
- Leeks, sliced (added later to prevent burning)
- Tomato paste
- 1 bottle of good quality red wine, or unsweetened grape juice (or vegetable broth if preferred)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment:
- A cutting board and a chef's knife
- A frying pan
- A roasting pot or a Dutch oven
- Kitchen twine or toothpicks
- A spoon or spatula for spreading the mustard
- A stovetop
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Instructions:
1. Start by frying the onions. Heat some oil in a frying pan and add the onions to sweat them down until they take on a bit of color. Season with salt and pepper while cooking.
2. Lay out the beef slices on a work surface, season the inside (which will become the inside of the roulade) liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Spread a thin layer of mustard on each slice. Place a slice of bacon on top.
4. On the lower third of each slice, distribute pickles and the sweated onions equally—who doesn't love a bit of onion in their roulade?
5. Carefully roll up each beef slice from the bottom up, making sure the filling stays inside. Secure each roll with kitchen twine or toothpicks.
6. In the roasting pot, use the pan with residual onion flavor to start your sauce base by roasting the diced carrots and celery, adding the leeks later to prevent them from burning. The objective here is to develop color and flavour for the sauce.
7. Brown the rouladen on all sides in the pot with the vegetables. Once they are nicely browned, add tomato paste and enough red wine to cover halfway up the rolls. Season with additional salt and pepper.
8. Bring to a simmer, then cover and let cook for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours on low heat. The rouladen should be fork-tender when done.
9. Serve the rouladen with their sauce. Ideal accompaniments are mashed potatoes, red cabbage, or spaetzle. Enjoy the taste that has been passed down through generations!
Cooking Tips:
- If you do not wish to use wine in your sauce, feel free to substitute it with unsweetened grape juice or a hearty vegetable broth for depth of flavor.
- Make sure to sear the rouladen well on all sides, as this will add a rich flavor to your sauce.
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Find the full video recipe by the talented CALLEkocht, as well as other Grandma's classics, at their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CALLEkocht.
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