The Beef Rouladen Recipe My Roommates STILL Talk About 40 Years Later

Описание: The German comfort-food classic my college roommates still talk about 40 years later.
Come cook my mom’s legendary Beef Rouladen — rich, tender, nostalgic, and unforgettable.
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This weekend I’m making Beef Rouladen for my college roommates — the same dish my mom used to send back to school with me decades ago. And let me tell you… 40 years later, they’re still talking about it. So today, I’m showing you exactly how to make this classic German comfort-food favorite the way I grew up eating it: tender beef rolled with mustard, German barrel pickles, sautéed onions, and crispy bacon, then slowly braised until fall-apart perfection.

Rouladen is a labor of love — but it freezes beautifully, reheats like a dream, and makes the entire house smell incredible. If you’re cooking for a crowd, stocking your freezer, or just want to try a dish that tastes like a hug from the past, this one’s for you.

In this video, I’ll walk you through:
• Prepping and pounding the beef thin
• Building the perfect Rouladen filling
• Rolling and tying so nothing escapes
• Browning for maximum flavor
• Making a rich, deep gravy with red wine, a roux, and strong beef stock
• Braising low and slow for tender results
• Thickening the gravy to that silky restaurant-style finish

Serve this with mashed potatoes, pasta, or — if you want to go full German — homemade spaetzle.

Beef Rouladen is truly worth the time. Make a bunch, freeze them, and future-you will be thrilled.

What you'll need for this recipe:
Thin beef steaks (for Rouladen/Braciole-style)
Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard
German barrel pickles
Yellow onions (sautéed)
Crispy cooked bacon
Kitchen twine
Bacon fat (for searing)
Butter
Flour (or Wondra for the final thickening)
Strong beef stock (or Better Than Bouillon + water)
Red wine
Tomato paste
Salt + pepper

Large sauté pans or Dutch ovens
Kitchen mallet
Kitchen twine

Cooking tips:
• Pound the beef thin and even. This ensures the Rouladen rolls tightly, cooks evenly, and stays tender.
• Use German barrel pickles, not regular dill since they have a totally different flavor profile — more mellow, briny, and perfect for this dish.
• Pre-cut your kitchen twine which makes tying easier, especially when the filling tries to escape, and make sure they are long enough.
• Make a big batch — it’s labor-intensive but freezes beautifully

It’s delicious and absolutely worth the time to make — a perfect way to entertain, or reconnect with old friends! If you enjoyed this video, please like 👍, comment, and subscribe for more family favorite German recipes from our kitchen.

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