Hilde’s Beef Roll Ups or as they say in Bavaria-Rinds Rouladen!

Recipe Rating: INTERMEDIATE*

I knew I would try this recipe the minute Hilde posted it.  I’d never made anything like it before, and rolling a  pickle up inside a slab of beef slathered in brown mustard was too intriguing to just tuck  away in a recipe  file never to be seen again.   I had to make it and the sooner the better.

I was not disappointed.  It was delicious and an added bonus was the gravy.  It was the best gravy I’ve ever tasted hands down!  Did I ever tell you guys that I’m from Oklahoma?  Well, Okies are gravy connoisseurs,  and I’m no exception.  Give me a  bowl of gravy and a couple of buttermilk biscuits or one or two slices of Wonder bread to sop it up with and I’ll give you a happy woman.  Ok, a happy FAT woman if I allowed myself to indulge as much as I’d like.

So here goes—Hilde, I hope I did it justice!!  Be kind when you critic me!   I’ve never done a roll-up before.

First off buy some really skinny beef.  The skinniest you can find.  My local Walmart had some packages of top round steak that I thought would fit the bill.

You’ll also need to gather up some spicy brown mustard, some dill pickles, (I used kosher dills and bought the sandwich sliced variety cuz’ I’m a lazy cuss– but you could also get whole pickles and slice them in half), and some beef broth. (I used canned because, well, I’m a lazy cuss and it’s just way to much trouble to make my own)

Next, put one of the steaks on a cutting board, sprinkle with salt and pepper,  get yourself a meat pounder–technical name, meat “tenderizer”. I do a few light whacks with the toothy side, switch to the flat end—

– and BEAT THE SNOT OUTTA THAT LITTLE SUCKER!–but be careful not to lose complete control and tear a hole in it.  Despite the violence, it’s a delicate operation.

Added plus: besides spreading the steak out and making it easier to roll, the beating does really help tenderize an otherwise “chewy” cut of meat.  If you don’t have one of these handy little kitchen gadgets–grab your husband’s hammer. (just make sure it’s clean)

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Before the beatings

After the beatings

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Smear some of the brown mustard on one side of the meat, and lay a strip of raw bacon lengthwise on top of the mustard.  Sprinkle on some chopped raw onions, and lay one of the pickle slices across one end.  It doesn’t matter if the pickle hangs over a little.

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Now here’s the tricky part.  Starting at the pickle end, roll it all up as tightly as you can and secure it with a toothpick or two- or ten.

Douse each roll up with flour and brown in vegetable shortening in the bottom of a heavy dutch oven or casserole. I used a hot skillet and scraped the dredges into my dutch oven. I did this because I paid a lot of money for my dutch oven, and I make a real effort to treat it like it was lined in gold.  Either way, the roll-ups should end up in the bottom of your baking pan.

Here’s an ah ha! moment.  If they all fit in your heavy skillet, you could just cover em’ with it’s matching lid or even heavy foil and transfer it to the oven. WISH I’D THOUGHT OF THAT EARLIER!  (mine’s old fashioned iron, BTW.   It’s impossible to kill it.–I’ve had this one for over 20 years and it’s still good as new)

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Pour the beef broth over them.  I know, they look kind of ugly right now, but just wait!  Plus, I probably didn’t get them brown enough. Thank God it didn’t matter in the end–they were still wonderful.

Put on the lid and cook for an hour or so at 325 degrees.

Remove the roll ups and keep warm while you make the gravy. Stir 3 heaping T. flour into a little cold water and whisk into the liquid in the pan. (tip: To avoid lumps, pour the stirred flour water into the liquid through a mesh strainer.)  Wincing the whole while,  I gave in and sat my beloved dutch oven on the stove and let the gravy come to a boil. (Remember, I’m a lazy cuss, and I’d already washed my skillet and obviously was too stupid to leave my roll ups  in old iron-sides  in the first place)

Anyhoo, put whatever pot your beefy little bundles were once in on the stove top. Lower the heat and stir while you simmer for 2 or 3 minutes to cook the flour and thicken the broth.  Put the roll ups back into the pot. Coat them real good with the gravy.

And speaking of gravy, just look at it. Now, that’s a thing of beauty. I’m salivating at the picture.  The pickles and mustard melded with the beef broth and onions in such an exquisite way that I just don’t have the words to describe the taste–the color–the aroma….Oh, the aroma! Just trust me when I simply say,  IT WAS GOOD!

I served it up with Hilde’s suggestions for sides—mashed potatoes and sweet and sour cabbage. (the recipe I found for the cabbage was delicious as well–It had apples and bacon and red cabbage and I could have made a meal just of that. Of course, that’s another post.)

Top it off with a German beer–a little polka music in the background for ambience–you’ll swear you were in the heart of Bavaria!

Here’s your bite!  (And don’t forget to slather them taters in the gravy!!!

Below is Hilde’s actual recipe for those that want some precise ingredients.  I took some more of her advice and doubled it for my family and they wiped it out.  My husband put it on his list of  top 5 favorite meals of all time. THANKS HILDE FOR SHARING!!