Classic German Beef Rouladen with Rich Gravy
shared by Nibblore Deutsch
These classic German beef rouladen are filled with mustard, bacon, onions, and gherkins, then slowly braised in a deeply savoury gravy. A thorough sear and unhurried cooking make the beef tender while building a rich, dark sauce. Serve them with potato dumplings, boiled potatoes, or braised red cabbage. • Very large beef slices are easier to roll if you pound any thick edges flat before adding the filling. • Do not crowd the casserole when searing; work in batches so the beef browns rather than steams. • Wait until the gravy has reduced before adding more salt, as the bacon, stock, and gherkins already contribute seasoning. • Rouladen taste especially good when braised a day ahead, allowing the beef and gravy to develop overnight. • Instead of red wine, use 200 ml additional beef stock and 50 ml red grape juice, then season with 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar at the end. • Clarified butter can be replaced with a neutral, high-heat cooking oil. • If streaky bacon is unavailable, use thinly sliced, mildly smoked pork belly. • Instead of using a stick blender, pass the gravy through a fine sieve for a smoother but slightly thinner sauce. Let the rouladen cool completely in the gravy, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover and simmer gently over low heat for 15–20 minutes, adding a little water or stock if needed. The rouladen and gravy can be frozen together for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly.
- Total time
- 170 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- 4beef rouladen slices, about 180–200 g each and 5 mm thick
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper, freshly ground
- 4 tspmedium-hot German mustard
- 8streaky bacon rashers
- 2gherkins, quartered lengthways
- 2onions, medium
- 2 tbspclarified butter
- 1carrot, cut into 1 cm dice
- 1 tbsptomato purée
- 250 mldry red wine
- 500 mlbeef stock, unsalted
- 1bay leaf
- 4juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 2thyme sprigs
- 1 tspgherkin brine
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional heat. Halve one onion; thinly slice one half, then roughly dice the remaining one and a half onions. Lay the beef slices on a work surface, pat dry, and, if necessary, pound them evenly between two sheets of baking paper until about 5 mm thick.
- 2Season the inner sides of the beef with a total of 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then spread each slice with 1 teaspoon mustard. Top each with 2 bacon rashers, some sliced onion, and 2 gherkin quarters, leaving a 2 cm border around the edges.
- 3Fold the long sides of each beef slice slightly over the filling, then roll up tightly from a short side. Secure with kitchen string or rouladen pins, and season the outsides with the remaining salt and pepper.
- 4Heat the clarified butter in a heavy, lidded, ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat. Working in two batches, sear the rouladen vigorously on all sides for 6–8 minutes per batch until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate and reduce the heat to medium.
- 5Add the diced onions and carrot to the casserole and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1–2 minutes until brick red, taking care not to let it burn.
- 6Deglaze with about one-third of the red wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce until the liquid has almost completely evaporated, then repeat twice with the remaining wine. This creates a robust gravy without a raw wine flavour.
- 7Add the beef stock, bay leaf, juniper berries, and thyme, then bring to a boil. Return the rouladen and any accumulated juices to the casserole; the liquid should come about two-thirds of the way up the meat. Cover and braise on the middle oven shelf for 90 minutes.
- 8Remove the lid, turn the rouladen, and braise uncovered for another 20–30 minutes. The beef is ready when a carving fork slides in easily and the rolls feel tender when pressed. If still firm, cook for 15 minutes longer, adding a little water if needed.
- 9Lift the rouladen from the casserole, cover, and keep warm. Remove the bay leaf, juniper berries, and thyme. Blend the gravy and vegetables until smooth with a stick blender, then boil briskly on the hob for 5–10 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.
- 10Season the gravy with the gherkin brine and, if needed, salt and pepper. Remove the kitchen string or pins, return the rouladen to the gravy, and warm over low heat for 5 minutes. Serve with plenty of gravy.