German Beef Rouladen

1.27.19 I didn’t have any sour cream on hand for the gravy, so I omitted it. Recipe doesn’t call for much anyway, so I didn’t ’t think it would be a game changer. Since I was looking for a rich beef gravy, I used all beef stock, no water. I had a few mushrooms in the fridge, so I sautéed them, and added after the gravy had thickened. I checked the rolls after 30 minutes, and they were not nearly tender enough (this is round steak, after all), so I ended up cooking for 1-1/4 hours at which time they were good-to-go. I added a little browning sauce (Kitchen Bouquet®) to get a richer, darker gravy for better eye appeal. That dijon mustard gave the beef rolls just a bit of tang, and the gravy was rich and robust, with just a hint of bacon. Served today with Red Cabbage (recipe on this site), sautéed fresh egg noodles, and freshly-cooked apples. My husband’s family has German roots, he is accustomed to German cuisine, and he gave this a thumbs up!

This was a fabulous dish. I made my version of Spetzel with it and my girlfriend made German potato salad. I loved it.

So I made this tonight and my husband a daughter and myself loved it. (I did forget to add the onion and paprika)There was a bit to much pickle for my husband so he took one of the wedges out. My one son didn't like the bacon (he normally doesn't like bacon) but said it was okay minus the bacon. My youngest son loved it also. Next time I won't add as much pickle and maybe less bacon.

Authentic, traditional or not, I don’t care. What matters to me is if it tastes good. I’ve made “Roll Mops” for years, but never with Dijon or sour cream and both seemed interesting ingredients to try. From the start, however, I knew I would use all broth, no water, to ensure a rich gravy. Also, 30 minutes is not nearly long enough to cook round steak to tenderness. It must be braised for more like an hour and a half. While Hubs and I both enjoyed this (because of a gravy prepared with all broth), we both agree it’s better without the Dijon and without the sour cream. Perhaps we’re just stuck in our ways.