Rouladen

By LKWolfe

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 pounds round steak, thinly sliced.
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 2 large onions, minced
• 1 generous handful minced parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Flour
• 3 tablespoons butter or bacon fat
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 carot, sliced (optional)
• 1 cup water or beef stock
• 1/2 cup sour cream (optional
• 1 to 2 tablespoons tomato puree (optional)

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

The round steak should be pounded to almost paper-thinness. Slices should then be cut into pieces approximately 3” wide and 4-5” long. They may be more or less oval to retangular in shape. There should be approximately 12 – 16 strips from 2-1/2 pounds of meat.
Fry the bacon slowly with the minced onion and parsley until vegatables are soft but not browned. Sprinkle one side of each meat slice with salt and pepper and spread with bacon-onion-parsley mixture. Roll meat tightly and tie with kitchen string or secure with toothpicks. Dredge each beef roll in flour. Heat fat in a shallow casserole dish with a tight fitting lid. When fat is hot, brown beef rolls lightly, a few at a time, turning so they are seared on all sides, removing them as they are done. When all the meat has been browned, add minced onion and carrott and brown slowly, about 5 – 7 minutes, stiring several times. When vegetables are golden borwn, place beef rolls on top of them. Add water or stock. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer very slowly but steadily 1 – 1-1/2 hours, or until beef rolls are tender. Add liquid if necessary as meat cooks. Remove beef rolls to a heated platter. Strain sauce and return to casserole. Skim excess fat from surface and stir in sour cream and tomato puree. Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Return beef rolls to sauce and heat throughtly before serving.

Variations

1. A little perepared mustard can be spread on beef rolls before onion mixture.

2. For paprika sauce, add 1 tablespoon to onion and carrots as they brown in pan.

3. If you use ½ cup red wine and ½ cup water for your cooking liquid, add wine to brown onion and carrot and simmer a minute or two before adding beef rolls and water.

4. Vegatable Stuffing:
Sprinkle meat slice on one side with salt and pepper, spreading with a little mustard first . Cut a scraped raw carrot in half lengthwise and then in half again, and lay one of these quartered strips on each meat slice, along with a lengthwise quarter strip of dill pickle and a thick slice or wedge of raw onion. Roll, tie, dredge with flour and proceed with recipe as described, adding a small bay leaf to cooking liquid.

5. Sausage Stuffing:
Mix ½ pound country-style pork sausage with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, some chopped parsley and 1 medium sized onion minced and sauteed in butter. A little thyme can be added for flavor as well.

6. Hunters Beef Rolls Stuffing:
Brown 4 tablespoons pumpernickel breadcrumbs, 1 finely minced onion and 4 slices diced bacon in combination of butter and some of the bacon’s fat. When mixture is golden brown, mix in 4 – 6 rinced, finely chopped anchovy filets, 3 – 4 minced sweet gherkins, 1 tablespoon chopped, drained capers, and spread this filling on lightly salted beef slices. Roll and tie beef and brown on all sides in butter,. Add water or stock for cooking, as directed above, but do not use any vegetables other than onion. Thicken pan gravy with 1 tablespoon flour stirred into ½ cup sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pper and, if you like, a little lemon juice.