This beef rouladen is an easy German recipe. Tender meat with a bull-bodied gravy. Delicious family meal that might just become the meal that everyone requests you to make.
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What is Rouladen?
It is a classic German dish made with beef, bacon, onions, mustard, and pickles. The beef is either sliced or pounded thin and the other ingredients are rolled inside the beef. Once this is cooked there is a delicious full-bodied sauce left behind. So good.
Flavor Packed Beef Rolls
This was the first time that I made this dish. My son-in-law’s dad had said that his family used to go to a special restaurant years ago and have this delicacy years ago. I had never heard of this recipe before, so I started to review recipes. I found a recipe that I wanted to try and it was on my phone for a few years.
This is so delicious that it is a shame that it took me a few years to finally try this recipe.
When I made the recipe, I made quite a bit because we wanted to make sure that everyone had enough to try. This is definitely a recipe that I will be making again and again.
Homemade Refrigerator Dill Pickles
For this recipe, I used the fill pickles that the family already prefers. Thought there was a better chance that we would love this recipe too. The meat and the pickles are a perfect pairing. If you would like my homemade refrigerator dill pickles, that recipe can be found here.
Soup Base
Often, I use soup base in my recipes if I do not have homemade or canned soup base ready to go into a recipe. When I do use a soup base, this is the one that I often reach for. Bettern Than Buillion Roasted Beef Soup Base It is an ingredient in this recipe and if you are not able to find it locally, you can find this delicious soup base here. The flavor of any recipe that incorporates this is enhanced.
Use All the Bacon
When I made my beef rolls, there was a bit of bacon left over. No worries, my family loves bacon. They did not complain that a few of them had bacon inside the beef rolls and outside of the roll too.
Serve the Beef Rouladen with Mashed Potatoes, Root Vegetables, and Gravy.
Delicious meal combination.
Browning the Beef
As I was researching various recipes, some of them called for the beef to be browned in a frying pan first, then cooked on the stove top too. I did try to fry a few, but found that it was cumbersome to fry with the toothpicks sticking out. Therefore, I just placed the Beef Rouladen into the baking dishes without being fried first. I did not notice any lost flavor. They still have so many flavor profiles and textures that are a delight to eat.
Beef Rouladen Easy German Recipe
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 3 Lbs. Flank Steak
- 18 Tbl. Stone Ground Mustard
- 2 Lbs. Bacon
- 2 Large Onions sliced
- 18 Large Dill Pickles
- 2 1/2 Cups Water
- 2 Tbl. Bettern Than Buillion Roasted Beef Soup Base
Instructions
- Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide. Place the meat between two ZipLock bags. Using a mallet, pound the mean thin about 1/8 inch thick.
- Note: the 3 Lbs. of flank steak that I used, I was able to get 18 beef rolls. Therefore, I used the number of 18 for the pickles and stone ground mustard. Generously spread one side of each beef filet with a tablespoon of mustard. Place 1/2 to a slice of bacon, a few slices of onion and a pickle slice on each beef filet. Form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together. I used a toothpick.
- Generously spread one side of each beef filet with a tablespoon of mustard. Place 1/2 to a slice of bacon, a few slices of onion and a pickle slice on each beef filet. Form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together. I used a toothpick.
- Place beef rolls in baking dish. I used a 9 X 13 and 4 X 6 to hold the beef rolls.
- Heat the 2 1/2 cups of water so it is warm enough to dissolve the Bettern Than Buillion Roasted Beef Soup Base. Pour this over the beef rolls.
- Bake the rolls for about an hour at 350 degrees F.
- If you would like to make a gravy. Drain the sauce from the pan and make a gravy from it.
- To make the gravy, bring the sauce to a boil in a pan. About 2 cups.
- Dissolve 2 Tbl. of flour and 4 Tbl. of water in a cup. When fully dissolved, slowly pour into the boiling sauce. Stir constantly until thickened.
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I hope that you liked this recipe. If you are looking for more ideas on what to make, here are a few other recipes that you may enjoy.
You can find Victoria crocheting, quilting, and creating recipes. She has cooked in restaurants for over 20 years, including many larger parties. She learned to crochet when she was just 11 years old and has been crocheting ever since; over 50 years now. Over 40 years ago, she loved her first class in sewing and continues to hone her skills in quilting. Many have enjoyed the handmade gifts over the years. In her professional career, she has worked in management in a wide variety of businesses including higher education as a dean of a division. All the while attending college part-time to achieve her doctorate in higher education with an emphasis in e-learning.
Donna F
Monday 13th of April 2020
My family loves this dish. Your recipe is almost identical to my family recipe. The difference is we use dill pickles and carrots. The easiest way I have found to include the carrots is to purchase matchstick cut carrots. Already cleaned and cut, they are always perfectly tender, adding another flavor profile to this delicious beef.
patternprincess1
Monday 13th of April 2020
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I think the next time I make this I will have to try with the dill pickles and carrots. So glad to her you enjoy this one as much as we do.
Joan
Saturday 11th of April 2020
Rouladen has been a family dish forever. My father was from Germany. He didn't like pickle, but prefer carrot, and my family likes just mustard onion and bacon . My favorite part is the gravy. It has a flavor all it's own
patternprincess1
Saturday 11th of April 2020
I agree. Just a delicious gravy, soft meat. Yum! thanks for sharing. I may have to make half with my recipe and half with your recipe next time. Thanks for the tips. Enjoy.