German Rouladen

It's fun having my mom here visiting, and I especially love it when she cooks for us!  A few days ago, she made a special German dish;  Beef Rouladen.  In Germany (and even here!) one can buy special Rouladen beef- it's cut thin and long and is meant for this dish.  If you live Stateside or another place where Rouladen beef is unavailable, you can use a tougher cut of meat, such as round steak or flank steak, sliced very thinly (I'd ask your butcher, instead of trying to do this yourself!).  It needs to be thin and long enough to be rolled around some other ingredients. 

This dish is so good and flavorful.  It's great with mashed potatoes.  The gravy you can make with this is wonderful!  This was so delicious!

German Rouladen
from my Mom
Serves 6

6 thinly sliced pieces of beef, such as round or flank steak (or Rouladen meat if you can find it) about 1/4-inch thick, and about 7-8 inches long
salt and pepper, to taste
Dijon mustard, to taste
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 large dill pickle, sliced into 6 long wedges
oil, for browning
1 can (14.5 oz) can reduced-sodium beef broth
flour & water slurry for thickening, if desired

1.  For each Rouladen, lay the steak out onto a clean cutting board or plate.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.  Spread mustard on in a thin layer, covering the whole Rouladen.  Lay the bacon on top of the Rouladen, length-wise.  Lay a wedge of onion and a wedge of pickle on the Rouladen, width-wise.  Roll up each Rouladen and secure with a wooden toothpick. 

2.  Heat oil in one or two skillets.  Brown Rouladens, and then pour in the broth.  (If using two pans, divide the broth between them).  Bring broth to a simmer and cover, cooking for 90 minutes.  Turn Rouladens over once or twice during the cooking time.

3.  If desired, thicken juices to make gravy.  Combine flour and cold water in a small jar and shake to combine.  Whisk mixture into hot broth and cook until thickened.  (If using two pans to cook Rouladen, combine the juices into one pan for ease).

4.  Serve Rouladen covered with gravy.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com **