German Beef Roulade With Sour Pickles and Bacon Recipe

Gather the ingredients. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Slice the beef about 1/4-inch thick across the large surface (horizontally). This can be done with a slicing machine, by the butcher, or by hand with a very sharp knife. This works best when the meat is partially frozen. You should be able to get 4 to 6 slices from the meat. Lay beef out flat. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Cut pickle lengthwise into strips and dice the onion and bacon very finely and set aside. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Spread each beef slice with mustard; fill one end with 2 slices of pickle, 1 to 2 tablespoons of onion, and some diced bacon. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Roll up from the filled end and tie with string (tie like you are wrapping a present or use a modified blanket stitch), or use turkey lacers (in Germany they are called rouladennadel) to keep the rolls tightly closed. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Melt the butter and oil in a saucepan or Dutch oven and brown the outside of the roulades in it. Remove the roulades to a plate. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Add the diced carrot and celery, which is known as a suppengrün or mirepoix, to the same pan the rolls were braised in. Sauté for a few minutes, until soft. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Place the beef rolls back on top of the vegetables, add the red wine and a little water, to make about 1/2-inch of liquid in the pan. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Add the bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon of salt (depends on how salty the bacon is), and some grinds of pepper. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Cover and braise over low heat for 2 hours, or until beef is tender. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Remove beef roulades and keep warm. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Purée sauce and thicken (optional) with a little cream, sour cream, or Wondra flour (known as sossenbinder in Germany). Season to taste with more salt and pepper as needed. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Place roulades back in the sauce until serving time. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Serve with boiled potatoes (dampfkartoffeln or parsley potatoes) or spaetzle noodles and red cabbage. The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga Enjoy! The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga