How to Make Beef Rouladen the Traditional German Way

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This recipe for Authentic Beef Rouladen comes from my podcast guest, Ruth Newman, who made it for all 200 guests at her only child's wedding! Make sure you listen to her episode, 168 Wedding Memories To Last a Lifetime, while you make her traditional recipe for German Roulades!   

(As you know since you searched for it) Beef Rouladen is a traditional German dish made for special occasions, like Christmas or a wedding. 

You'll begin with thin slices of beef, smothered in German (Dusseldorf) mustard, topped with bacon, onions, and pickle (!!!) then browned and braised in a rich gravy made with vegetable and beef broth that you'll make yourself.

Ruth's authentic Rouladen recipe, which she made for 200 guests at her son's wedding - and then only twice again in the 25 years since! - is full of notes on how to make this recipe with ingredients and brands found in the United States.   

Consider serving this with a Brazilian-German Carrot Chocolate Cake, shared by my podcast guest, B Santos. (More serving suggestions below!)

Look, Flavor, and Texture

Look:

• Steak rolls slathered with rich, brown gravy
• The look will depend a little bit on your approach to the pickle stuffing. Choose dill spears, baby/mini dill pickles, or chop up the pickles into relish-sized pieces 

Flavor:

• So many flavors!!!
• Beefy, rich flavor with sharpness from the dill pickles and mustard!

Texture:

• The pickles (and to a lesser extent, the mustard), which sets this recipe apart, serve a texture purpose as well: the acid tenderizes the meat as it cooks. 

Ruth's Special Memories of Rouladen

I’m most known for my decorated sugar and gingerbread cookies. People who know me are probably wondering why not share that?  It’s true, there are a ton of memories associated with being a “Cookier.” 

Yet, how can that compare to the memory of sharing my kitchen with my only child for one of the most important days of his life?   

It starts with heritage: My paternal grandparents were Germans who lived in a German settlement in Russia which is present-day Ukraine. They later emigrated to Canada and then the US. 

The family connection: Fast forward to 2000. My son, Karl Walser, marries Kim Schneider (also of German descent).  In keeping with the family's German heritage, I made Rouladen and other German dishes for the wedding “feast.” 

While I made a good part of their menu on my own, we also had one marathon day where aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins from both families converged at our home to make all the other dishes on the menu. Not the least of which was my mother’s signature German Potato Salad. What a time that was. 

Decades later, sweet memories remain! 

Top Tips from Ruth

1. You may want to ask the butcher if they can slice, trim, and pound the beef for you. Yes! Ask the butcher to take a top round steak and slice it into 1/4 inch slices at least 8 inches long. You can then pound it down to a thinner depth and a width of about 4 inches. She also warns us not to pound the beef to the point that it's ripped or shredded. It does need to hold a lot of filling! 😉 
2. “Claussen” dill pickles are my preferred pickles because they have an excellent flavor and texture and are available at most grocery stores. Frankly, I couldn't find these! But I got a tip from my nephew's girlfriend! She told me Claussen pickles are only in the cold section of the grocery store! Also, you can get them from Amazon here. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Thin pieces of beef - i.e. Top Round, London Broil, Flank Steak. See the top tip above to get your beef slices to the right thickness. 
• Dusseldorf or any German mustard (Dusseldorf mustard has horseradish and sugar)
• Lean bacon - aka short bacon. If you can't find it, choose thick-cut smoked bacon. 
• Dill pickle - Choose whole pickles or pickle spears if you're going to chop, or mini/baby size if you're going to roll up the entire pickle, You can see pictures of both on this page.
• Salt, black pepper, fresh nutmeg
• Lard - easier to just use the reserved bacon fat)
• Water
• Celery
• Leeks- just the white parts!
• Parsnip 
• Parsley ·
• Ketchup
• Butter
• Flour

Variations

Of course, there are as many German rouladen recipes as there are German homes. Here are a few things that change frequently among recipes:

• Pickles! Choose pickle spears, mini/baby pickles, or chopped pickles. The constant is that 
• Ways to Cook: Rouladen is braised in all recipes, but lots of vessels can do the job. Cook these German Beef Rolls in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, oven, or on the stove.  

Instructions

Great rouladen isn't necessarily difficult, but it IS time-consuming. The best results will come if you start early and take your time. (See below for how to cook ahead!)

Prep your Ingredients

• Clean and prep vegetables
• Cook bacon

Make Rolls

• Pound beef steak to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
• Season and top with Dusseldorf mustard, onions, pepper, and fresh nutmeg
• Place slices of bacon down the center
• Sprinkle diced pickle or place a whole (mini) pickle at one end
• Roll up and tie the rolls at each end

Brown

• Melt fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef
• Transfer the rolls to a plate

Braise and Make Broth

• Add vegetables and water, scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the skillet for flavor
• Return the beef to the skillet
• Cover and reduce the heat to low
• Cook beef for about an hour, until fork tender

Make Gravy

• Strain the braising liquid
• Melt butter and sprinkle in the flour
• Lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is golden brown (be careful not to let it burn)
• Gradually add the reduced cooking liquid, beating vigorously with a whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick
• Add a little ketchup
• Taste for seasoning and return the sauce and the Rouladen to the skillet until warm
• Slice the beef

More FAQ

This sounds like a lot of work. Where can I buy the perfect Rouladen - restaurant in Leipzig.

What to Serve with Beef Roulades

To eat this traditional German Beef Rouladen recipe, choose everyone's favorite German dishes:

• Red cabbage
• Spaetzle - classic German dish (egg noodles with sauce)
• Potato dumplings
• Green beans
• Hard-boiled eggs

Equipment

• Cooking twine
• Large enameled Dutch Oven OR large ovenproof skillet OR even slow cooker
• Small saucepan
• Meat thermometer

Storage

From Ruth: 

• Can it be made in advance?
  • YES! Make the day before and refrigerate. Or freeze and then thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a 300-degree oven for 1.5 hours

Food Safety

• Choose High-Quality Beef:
  • Start with fresh, high-quality beef from a reputable source. 
  • Look for beef that is bright red in color, with no discoloration or strong odor. 
• Handle Beef Safely:
  • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling raw beef. 
  • Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria to other foods. 
  • Refrigerate or freeze raw beef promptly and thaw it safely in the refrigerator, microwave, or cold water.
  • Thoroughly clean your work surface after pounding.
• Cook Beef Thoroughly:
  • Ensure that the beef is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare or 160°F (71°C) for medium, as recommended by food safety guidelines. 
  • Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef to check its temperature accurately. 

More Western European Recipes

More Beef Recipes

Listen to Ruth's Episode

Recipe

Authentic German Beef Rouladen Recipe

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5 from 4 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield: 5 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Traditional German Beef Rouladen begins with top round steak thinly sliced, then spread with mustard, bacon, onions and wrapped around a mini pickle! Brown, then braise in a beef gravy made with vegetable broth.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 pounds top round steak, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 6 teaspoons Dusseldorf or any German-style mustard
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 12 slices lean bacon,
• 3 Claussen dill pickles (refrigerated section by hotdogs) chop to relish size
• Pepper
• fresh nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons lard (or reserved bacon fat)
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup leeks, thinly sliced and white part only
• 1 tablespoon parsnip, finely chopped and scraped
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ketchup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Kitchen cord or toothpicks

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

Make sure to listen to Ruth's episode 168: A Wedding Feast to Last a Lifetime while making your beef rouladen!

Make The Recipe

Prepping

1. Take the steak, trim off all the fat, and pound until 1/4-inch thick.
2. Clean and prep vegetables
3. Cook bacon by cutting it into approximately 1/2 inch pieces, and cook to tender but not crisp then drain.

Prepare The Meat

On each piece of meat spread or place:

1. A teaspoon of mustard
2. Next, sprinkle it with approx. 2 teaspoons of onions
3. Then sprinkle lightly with pepper and fresh ground nutmeg
4. Now place pieces of cooked bacon down the center
5. Lastly, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of diced pickle
6. Roll the meat, jelly-roll style, into a cylinder (tuck sides in as needed as you roll)
7. Tie the rolls at each end and in the middle with kitchen cord or tuck with toothpicks

Brown The Meat

1. In a heavy 10-12 inch skillet, melt the lard (or use reserved bacon fat) over moderate heat until it begins to sputter.
2. Add the beef rolls, and brown them on all sides, regulating the heat so they color quickly and evenly without burning.
3. Transfer the rolls to a plate.

Slow Cooking

1. Pour the water into the skillet and bring to a boil, meanwhile scraping in any brown particles that are clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan
2. Add the celery, leeks, parsnip, parsley, and salt, and return the beef rolls to the skillet
3. Cover and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, or until the meat shows no resistance when pierced with a fork
4. Turn the rolls once or twice during the cooking period
5. Transfer the rolls to a heated platter, and cover them with foil to keep them warm while you make the sauce

Prep To Make The Gravy

1. Strain the cooking liquid left in the skillet through a fine sieve, pressing down hard on the vegetables before discarding them
2. Measure the liquid, return it to the skillet, and boil briskly until it is reduced to 2 cups
3. Remove from the heat.

Making The Gravy

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over moderate heat and, when the foam subsides, sprinkle in the flour
2. Lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is golden brown. Be careful not to let it burn.
3. Gradually add the reduced cooking liquid, beating vigorously with a whisk until the sauce is smooth and thick
4. Add a little ketchup
5. Taste for seasoning and return the sauce and the Rouladen to the skillet
6. Simmer over low heat only long enough to heat the rolls through
7. Serve the rolls on a heated platter and pour the sauce over them

Notes

Make sure to listen to Ruth's episode 168: A Wedding Feast to Last a Lifetime while making your beef Rouladen!

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Beef Dishes, Main
• Cuisine: German

Nutrition

• Calories: 480
• Sugar: 2
• Sodium: 1.122
• Fat: 20
• Saturated Fat: 8
• Carbohydrates: 6
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 65
• Cholesterol: 180

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