Rouladen

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Rouladen (or Rinderroulade) is a German roulade consisting of semi-cooked bacon and onions wrapped in thinly sliced meat then cooked. Various different recipes can be found on the Internet. "Beef shank" is the obvious choice of beef due to its low cost and good flavour. The "rouladen" are slow roasted with carrots, celery and leeks until the meat is tender and nicely caramelized. The "Rouladen" are then removed, the pan de-glaced with some red wine and vegetable stock. This is reduced until a nice sauce consistency has been achieved. More details are below:

Tradition: The filling varies from region to region, in some areas, a "stuffing" of ground pork and beef with pickles is used, in others only onions. In all regions the flattened meat is covered in hot mustard and ground pepper before strips of semi-cooked smoked bacon are placed on top, the filling added and then the meat is rolled up to form the traditional elongated shape. A thread (traditional) or toothpick (modern) is used to hold the roll together during the slow roasting which takes between one and two hours depending on the regional preferences. The most traditional cooking method would include searing enough rouladen to cover the bottom of a deep heavy bottom pan or pot. The bacon is semi-cooked first and the grease is maintained for the searing process. Rouladen is turned only once until seared on opposite sides and then adding red wine and a vegetable stock to deglaze the pan and slow the cooking process. The pan is then covered and placed on a raised iron mount in front of an open fireplace for the slow roasting period. The height of the iron mount and the distance from the fire will determine the temperature of the slow roasting process. Perfecting this process takes time, an easier method would use a conventional oven at 175 degrees Celsius (350 °F). Rouladen are served with either German potato dumplings or boiled potatoes. Roasted winter vegetables are another common side dish. Red wine is traditionally served with all types of rouladen. Like most celebratory meals, rouladen is traditionally served for dinner.

The dish is often considered a food for common people, but this is incorrect. Rouladen is traditionally a celebratory food for the wealthy and upper-middle class. Original rouladen was eaten at the end of hunting season (mid-winter). The beef rouladen common today has become popular over the past century. Original variations include venison, wild boar, and common pork. Many food scholars agree that original version was probably venison and pork.