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.
Heidi's Rogue Kitchen 
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