Beef Roulades with Red Cabbage and Dumplings

1. Generously cut off the rind from the bacon slices and save. Then cut slices into strips that are not too thick. Cut the cucumber into strips that are as thick as they are long. Peel the onions, halve 1 – 1/2 and cut into thin slices (strips). The remaining onions into large pieces. Provide everything. Lay out wooden or metal skewers.
2. Spread out all the roulades. Pepper, salt and brush with mustard. Then spread the bacon, cucumber and onions across all of them. Leave one edge lengthways so that the roulades can be folded in a little laterally when rolling up.
3. It is best to roll it up from the pointed side of the roulade, because the wide side gives you more opportunity to fix the roulade well with a wooden or metal skewer at the end of the wrapping process.
4. Put enough clarified butter in a correspondingly large saucepan and fry all the rolled roulades in it all around. Spread the rind sections and the remaining onions all around and fry them well. When everything has turned color, add enough water (!) That the roulades can still look out a little. Season a little pepper and salt, put the lid on and cook over medium heat until the meat is tender. This can take different lengths of time. It always depends on the quality of the meat and the thickness of the roulades. So always poke once. If the skewer comes out easily, the meat is ready.
5. Then lift the roulades out of the stock. Remove the skewers. Pour the brew through a sieve, collect it and put it back into the pot. Season again with pepper and salt and thicken with a little flour butter (explanation at the end). Put the roulades back into the sauce and – with the stove switched off – let them steep a little longer.
6. The sauce usually doesn’t need any additional seasoning, as the filled roulades give off a lot of flavor. If there is not enough sauce for you, you can extend it with additional liquid, but you have to season it again and possibly re-set.
7. According to my family tradition, there was and is always red cabbage / red cabbage / red cabbage and dumplings made from boiled potatoes. These two side dishes are explained in separate recipes.

Tip:

1. Flour butter means that you mix so much flour and butter together that you can literally “knead” it. You can spread this mass into the individual fields of an ice cube tray and freeze it. If necessary, you can knock out the cubes in portions and – as ice-cold as they are – use them to set sauces. This gives them a pleasant consistency and is not too thick.