Susanne's Rouladen

Rouladen or Rinderrouladen is a quintessential German meat dish made with bacon, onions and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef. The gravy is an absolute requirement to round out this dish.  It is usually served with boiled potatoes, potato dumplings, or Spätzle (depending on the region). I like red cabbage with my Rouladen, but you can serve it with any vegetable you like. The dish was once considered a recipe for common folk, but today it is enjoyed by many people as a festive dish or a special Sunday meal. Imagine braised meat flavored with mustard, pickles, prosciutto, enhanced by a rich gravy. If you like that, than Rouladen is the dish for you.

My love affair with Rouladen began here in the United States when Susanne, my friend and neighbor and an excellent cook, started making it for me. This dish is the best cure when I get homesick for Germany. It’s like soul food imbedded into my DNA. It’s not fancy or delicate, but homey and nourishing. I can’t wait to sit at Susanne’s inviting table and start eating. 
There are many recipes for Rinderroulden (beef roll-ups), but I enjoy Susanne’s the best. She uses thinly sliced prosciutto that she buys at Trader Joe’s (instead of bacon) as well as cornichons (gherkin pickles). The butcher slices a piece of London broil into 1/8 inch thin slices. I find that this dish develops more flavor when made a day ahead.

My recipe for red cabbage ( here is the link for the recipe) goes well with Rouladen. Susanne serves boiled potatoes that she flavors with melted butter and parsley. Thank you Susanne, for being my friend and taking care of me for so many years.

For dessert I recommend something light and lemony like my lemon mouse, lemon pudding cake, or my lemon and buttermilk sorbet. Click on the photo for the recipe.

Have the butcher cut a rectangular piece of London broil into 1/8-inch slices. When I made the recipe, I got seven pieces. Suzanne got six pieces. It also important to dice the cornichons and onions into very small cubes.

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Ingredients:

makes 6-7 Rouladen 

about 2 Ib. London broil beef
½ - 3/4 cup finely chopped onions
20-24 cornichons 
6-7 TBS Dijon mustard
6-7 paper-thin slices of prosciutto
smoked paprika
salt and pepper 
2  or more TBS oil
3 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
2 cups dry red wine 
2 or more cups chicken broth
1 TBS sour cream or crème fraîche

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˙degrees Fahrenheit. Put the oven rack on the bottom.
Cut off the stems of the cornichons and dice into small cubes. 
Season the beef slices with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika. Thinly spread about
​ 1 TBS mustard on top of each slice. 
Add a piece of prosciutto on top of the mustard. Sprinkle each slice with 1TBS finely chopped onions and 1TBS cornichons. 
Starting at the larger end, roll up the slices and secure with a toothpick. Susanne has special skewers she brought from Germany. You can also use thread to secure the Rouladen.
Heat 1 TBS butter and the oil in a large dutch oven with a lid. The fat should be sizzling (but not smoking) when you put the Rouladen in. Do not crowd the Rouladen, browning three or four at a time. Remove and repeat with the rest of the Rouladen. Make sure the Rouladen are browned nicely on all sides. 
When all the Rouladen are browned, remove them from the pot. Add the wine and deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth to the red wine and bring it to a boil. Add the Rouladen and make sure that they are mostly covered with the liquid. Add the lid and put the pot in a preheated oven on the bottom shelf. Braise for 1 hour and 25 minutes. 
This can be done a day ahead of time. Reheat the Rouladen before making the gravy.
After you finished cooking them in the oven, remove the Rouladen onto a plate and sieve the juices into a bowl. To make the gravy, melt 2 TBS butter, add 2 TBS flour and sauté until slightly browned. Slowly add the sieved juice and with a whisk, stir the gravy to a smooth consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Rouladen and the rest of the juices to the gravy. Before serving, add 1 TBS sour cream. Some people remove the toothpicks or skewers, but I didn't. Serve the extra gravy in a gravy boat.
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Guten Appetit!
recipe by Susanne Rather ©Sunnycovechef
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