Beef Rouladen

A few days ago, Georg was requesting a dish from childhood: Rouladen, a dish with its origins in the German-speaking world. I had no clue how to make them and it was fun to learn!

I found this recipe on Food Network Canada, which seemed pretty reliable. You take thin beef steaks, smear them with dijon mustard, and roll them up with bacon, pickles, and onion (I used some garlic instead to accommodate Georg). Then you sear them, deglaze the pan with red wine, add some beef stock, and simmer the Rouladen for a couple of hours. After the meat is really tender, you remove it and thicken the cooking liquid with a cornstarch and water mixture.

The Rouladen were delicious. The meat was tender, the resulting gravy was richly flavored, and the bacon, pickles, and other fillings were an interesting addition. I have to admit that I felt odd about rolling pickles up in beef. In fact, as I was doing it, I was talking on the phone to my sister. I was explaining the process, expressing that I found the pickles odd, and she said, "just sounds like the ingredients in a really good hamburger!" That rationalization of the ingredients made me feel better.