Beef Rouladen with Bacon & Pickle

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Cologne Cathedral

📍 Where this dish comes from: Cologne · Cologne Cathedral
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Beef Rouladen with Bacon & Pickle, plated and ready to serve

Rouladen is the dish that every German grandmother makes better than anyone else, and it is the taste of childhood Sundays across the country — Germany’s ultimate Sunday roast, utterly irreplaceable. Thin slices of beef (traditionally topside or flank) are spread with Dijon mustard, topped with bacon, onion, and a gherkin spear, then rolled and tied before a long, gentle braise in wine and beef stock. The resulting sauce is liquid gold.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Beef Rouladen with Bacon & Pickle

Beef Rouladen with Bacon & Pickle

Thin slices of beef rolled around smoky bacon, tangy gherkin, and mustard, then braised until tender in a dark, glossy wine sauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 490kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 thin beef topside slices (150g each)
  • 4 thin rashers smoked bacon
  • 4 small gherkin pickles
  • 1 large onion (half finely minced half sliced for sauce)
  • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp lard
  • 200 ml dry red wine
  • 400 ml beef bone broth
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Kitchen twine

Instructions

  • Pound beef slices thin. Spread each with mustard, top with bacon, minced onion, and 1 gherkin.
  • Roll up tightly and secure with kitchen twine or cocktail sticks.
  • Brown rouladen deeply in lard on all sides. Remove.
  • Sauté sliced onion. Add wine, reduce half. Add broth and tomato paste.
  • Add rouladen. Braise covered 1.5 hours. Remove rouladen. Reduce sauce, whisk in xanthan gum.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 490kcal | Protein: 45g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 1g
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Cooking Beef Rouladen with Bacon & Pickle in the kitchen

Health Benefits

  • Beef topside provides creatine and carnitine, compounds important for energy metabolism.
  • Vinegar-brined gherkins contribute tang and crunch to the filling with minimal carbohydrates.
  • Red wine sauce contains resveratrol and quercetin, antioxidants studied for their potential cardiovascular benefits.

Pairs Well With

  • Braised Red Cabbage with Apple & Caraway
  • Creamed Spinach with Nutmeg
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