Beef roulades

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 4 beef roulades
• 2 sausages (smoked, smoked Mettwurst)
• 2 tbsp mustard, medium hot
• 2 large onions
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ liter red wine, dry and strong
• ¼ liter meat broth
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• salt and pepper
• Sugar, toothpicks or string
• possibly potato starch
• some flour
• oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

filled with smokers

Spread the roulades out, flatten them if necessary, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Turn them over and spread evenly with mustard. Cut the smoked meats into slices about half a finger thick and arrange them on the roulades, leaving a small border on the long sides. Roll the roulades tightly and secure them with roulade pins or string. Lightly dust with flour. Heat the oil in a roasting pan or deep frying pan (a saucepan works too, but uncoated cookware is best, as long as it has a lid!) until very hot and sear the roulades on all sides. They should develop an even, dark brown crust and not start to cook. Don’t be afraid of the dark coating on the bottom of the pan; it’s intentional and will cook off later. Remove the roulades from the roasting pan and set aside. Finely dice the onions and fry them in the roasting pan; they can take on some color. Add the tomato paste and fry everything until well browned. Deglaze with the wine and stock, stirring constantly to loosen any pan juices and stir in. Add the spices and chopped garlic clove and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the meat back in. The roulades should just be covered by the liquid. The amount of stock and wine may vary depending on the height of the pot; add more if necessary. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours over low heat; just simmer. Stir gently occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the roulades, fish out the bay leaves, and puree the sauce with a hand blender or pass it through a sieve. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the sauce becomes somewhat thick. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar. Return the roulades to the sauce, heat well, and serve with apple-flavored red cabbage and boiled potatoes. A friend from Gelsenkirchen told me that his mother used to fill the roulades with whole smoked pigs. I took it and prepared it to my liking, adapting it. It sounds strange, but it’s very flavorful and juicy!