German Rouladen

German Rouladen or Beef Roulade is one of the most popular dishes in Germany and typically served during Sunday dinner or for a special occasion. It’s Guido J’s favorite dish next to his mom’s delicious braised rabbit.

It’s not hard to make but it’s a notoriously time-consuming task. I have simplified the recipe by using Instant Pot, and the result is just as delicious, as declared by Guido. He has only suggested that the Rouladen would go better with Rotkohl or Braised Red Cabbage instead of the regular sauerkraut.

So here’s my way to prepare this dish. The gravy plays a very important part as the joy of eating this dish is to have a copious serving of gravy to dip in crusty German bread, or to pour over the potatoes and vegetable.

The Ingredients (for 2)

For the Rouladen:
5 slices of beef (can be top round, flank or skirt), about 4×6 inches (100 x 150 mm) in size and 1/6 inch (4 mm) thick.
1/4 cup German spicy mustard
5 slices bacon
5 medium (or 15 small) German pickles , sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow onion , chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Gravy:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium yellow onion , chopped
1 clove garlic , minced
1 small leek , chopped, rinsed and drained in colander
1 carrot , chopped
1 celery stalk , chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter + 2 tablespoons flour

Rolling the Beef

You need thin slices of beef which are available in most supermarkets.

Lay the beef slices on a cutting board. Slater 1 heaped teaspoon of good spicy German mustard over each slice, sprinkle salt and pepper all over. Lay a slice of bacon on top (If the bacon slice is longer, fold the end so it runs the length of the beef slice.

Put sliced pickles on top of the bacon.

Sprinkle chopped onions on top. Carefully fold over the sides and tightly roll up to form a roulade. Secure with tooth picks or skewers.

Cooking in Instant Pot

Set the Instant Pot to Sauce function. Heat a tablespoon of butter. Brown the roulades on all sides. This creates a layer of flavor in the gravy. Remove the roulades and set aside.

Add a tablespoon oil in the instant pot. Stir fry chopped onions, shallots for 3 minutes, add the minced garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Add the chopped carrots, celery and leeks (since I don’t have leeks at home, I have used green onions) and fry for another 3 minutes till fragrant. Add the red wine, beef stock, tomato paste, sugar, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Place the beef roulades back in the liquid. Cancel the Saute function.

Close the Instant Pot lid and lock. Set to high pressure cook for 8 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the beurre manié to add richness and to thicken the gravy. Beurre manié is the French term for kneaded butter.

To make beurre manié: Add 2 tablespoons of All-Purpose Flour to 2 tablespoons of butter at room temperature. Mix well with a spoon or use your hand to knead them together to form a paste.

When pressure cooking time is over, manually release the steam. Cancel the pressure cook function. Open the lid, carefully remove the rouladen. Instead of straining the liquid, I use a hand blender to puree the vegetable and aromatics until smooth.

Set to Saute function till the liquid gently boils. Add the beurre manié by knobs, till it melts in the liquid and thickens it. You can add all the beurre manié or stop when the gravy has reached the desired thickness. It should be smooth, thick and velvety. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Remove the toothpicks (or the skewers) from the rouladen and add them back in the gravy to warm them up. Serve hot with braised red cabbage or sauerkraut, boiled or fried potatoes, or Spaetzle.