Rouladen

Step 1

Peel the onion, then chop it into small cubes. Also, cut the baby dill pickles into small cubes.

Step 2

Peel the carrot and cut it into slices. Wash the celery and leek (make sure to wash it well - leek can be quite dirty), then cut those into slices/rings as well. Set the vegetables aside for now.

Step 3

Wash the meat and trim the excess fat (if applicable). Place one piece of meat between two pieces of cling film, then pound it thin using the smooth side of a meat hammer.

Step 4

Remove the cling film. Salt and pepper on both sides of the meat, then evenly spread one of the sides with mustard (approximately 1 tablespoon per roulade). Add one slice of bacon as well as some of the cut-up onion and pickles. Be sure to place the onion and pickles in the middle of the beef with room at the edges - you'll need this space for rolling/tucking the beef.

Step 5

Now roll up the piece of meat and try tucking in the edges. Secure the roll of meat either with toothpicks (we like using a whole toothpick in the middle and a half toothpick for each end) or cooking twine (you can tie the beef roll as you would ribbon in four directions on a present). Set the roulade aside on a plate and repeat the steps with the other pieces of meat.

Step 6

Preheat your oven to 310 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 7

Once you have rolled all the pieces of meat, heat oil in a pan/pot with high sides. Alternatively, you can also use a Dutch oven or similar that you can put in the oven. Add the rouladen and sear the meat on high heat on all sides (so make sure to rotate them!). Once all the sides are browned, remove the meat from the pan.

Step 8

Turn down the heat to medium and add the vegetables to the pan. Sauté them for around 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste and the sugar. Give everything a stir.

Step 9

Now add 1/2 cup of red wine to the pot and wait until it reduces. Then add the other 1/2 cup and wait for it to reduce and thicken again.

Step 10

Add the beef broth to the pan/pot and bring everything to a simmer. Then pour the contents of the pan into a roasting pan for the oven or leave them in the pan/pot if it is oven safe.

Step 11

Place the meat on top of the evenly spread out sauce and vegetables and put the roasting pan with the lid off into the oven. After 30 minutes, take the pan out of the oven, flip the rouladen and place them back in the oven. Bake them for another 30 minutes, flip them again, and put the lid on at the 1-hour mark. This way, they get a nice dark color. If you don't want them to be that dark, place them into the oven with the lid on from the beginning - but still flip them every 30 minutes.

Step 12

Test if the meat is tender after 90 minutes. If it is, remove the pan from the oven. If not, put it back in to continue cooking the beef.

Step 13

Once the meat is tender, remove the rouladen from the roasting pan and set them aside.

Step 14

Pour the sauce through a sifter to capture the cooked vegetables.

Step 15

To thicken the sauce, you have two options. Either blend approximately 1/2 of the cooked vegetables with some of the liquid from the sauce drippings. Then add it back to the strained liquid and bring this mixture to a simmer on the stove in a pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively - if you don't want to use any vegetables to thicken the sauce - thicken the sauce with approximately 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch dissolved in a little bit of cold water and discard the cooked vegetables or eat them on the side.

Step 16

Serve the meat and gravy with potato dumplings, bread dumplings, spaetzle noodles, or potatoes. German red cabbage and a green side salad are also popular additions.