Rinderroulade (German Braised Beef Rolls)

About This Recipe

Rinderroulade takes thin slices of beef top round, spreads them with mustard, and rolls them around a filling of bacon, onion and pickle before securing and braising the bundles slowly until fork-tender. The pickle inside might seem unusual, but its sharp acidity cuts through the richness of the beef and bacon as the roll braises, becoming a distinctive, unmistakably German flavor combination. Served with the reduced braising liquid turned into a rich gravy, rinderroulade is traditionally paired with red cabbage and potato dumplings, a hearty combination found at German Sunday tables for generations.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8thin beef top round slices
• 3 tbspdijon mustard
• 8slices bacon
• 1onion(finely diced)
• 4dill pickles(cut into strips)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 cupsbeef stock
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 2 tbspflour(for gravy)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the beef

   Lay out the beef slices, season with salt and pepper, and spread a thin layer of mustard on each.

2. 2

   Fill

   Top each slice with a piece of bacon, a scatter of diced onion, and a strip of pickle.

3. 3

   Roll and secure

   Roll each slice tightly and secure with kitchen twine or toothpicks.

   Roll tightly and secure well — a loosely rolled roulade can unravel during the long braise.

4. 4

   Brown

   Heat oil in a heavy pot and brown the rolls on all sides, about 8 minutes total; remove.

5. 5

   Braise

   Add beef stock and tomato paste to the pot, return the rolls, cover, and simmer on low 90-100 minutes until tender.

6. 6

   Make the gravy

   Remove the rolls and whisk flour into the braising liquid, simmering until thickened.

7. 7

   Serve

   Remove the twine or toothpicks from the rolls and serve with the gravy, red cabbage and potato dumplings.

Variations

• •

  Some regions use bacon and mustard alone without pickle for a milder version.

• •

  A version with a bit of carrot added to the filling gives extra color and sweetness.

• •

  Adding red wine to the braising liquid deepens the gravy's flavor further.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; the flavor deepens the next day, and it also freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions