German Rouladen – A Beloved Classic Perfect for Entertaining

beef flank steak

🥗Healthier: chicken breast

💰Cheaper: pork loin

Chicken is lower in fat, while pork is often less expensive.

red wine

🥗Healthier: grape juice

💰Cheaper: white wine

Grape juice maintains sweetness without alcohol.

bacon

🥗Healthier: turkey bacon

💰Cheaper: smoked sausage

Turkey bacon is leaner, while smoked sausage can be more affordable.

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth is lighter and can be made from scraps.

Start with the braised cabbage by placing one rasher of bacon into a cold heavy-based pot.

Turn on the heat to render the bacon fat until it crisps up.

Add half a red cabbage, chopped into quarters after removing the core.

Add two peeled and cored Granny Smith apples, sliced.

Pour in 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp of salt, and some cracked black pepper.

Add 1/2 cup of water, a bay leaf, and two cloves, then stir the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 160°C with a fan (180°C conventional) and cover the pot, placing it in the oven.

After half an hour, stir the cabbage and check for dryness, adding more liquid if necessary.

After 1.5 hours, add 1 tbsp of raspberry jam for sweetness and shine, and taste for seasoning.

If the cabbage is still firm, add more water and return it to the oven until soft.

Prepare the rouladen by using 5 tsp of Dusseldorf mustard, 3 tsp of German mustard, and 2 tsp of hot English mustard.

Dice a small onion finely and prepare dill pickles, using half a pickle per rouladen.

Use streaky bacon, ensuring it covers the meat well.

Choose eye of the round steak or oyster blade steak, pounding it thin with a mallet.

Season the meat with salt and pepper, then spread mustard over it.

Sprinkle finely chopped onions on top, add a slice of bacon, and place a quarter of a dill pickle along the edge.

Roll the meat tightly and secure it with cooking string or skewers, ensuring it's snug but not too tight to avoid filling oozing out.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: