Spanish bird – Španělský ptáček, beef roulades in Bohemian-Czech style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 beef roulades
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2 gherkins
• 4 slice(s) smoked bacon
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled
• 2 small carrots
• 2 Vienna sausages or similar (meat sausage, city sausage)
• 1 large onion(s)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 0.7 liters of meat broth
• salt and pepper
• some flour
• some cucumber juice
• 1 cup cream, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 25 minutes

Peel the cooled hard-boiled eggs. Lay out the roulades, pounding them lightly, but don’t want any holes to appear. Season with salt and pepper, and spread a thin dollop of mustard on each roulade. The (grayish) Czech mustard (Hořčice) is best, as it’s not as intense as our medium-hot mustard. On each roulade, add half a gherkin, a piece of carrot, half a Vienna sausage, a slice of smoked bacon, and half a boiled egg, in roughly equal lengths and thicknesses (approx. 1 x 1 x 10 cm). Carefully roll up the roulades and tie them securely with kitchen string. Dice the onion and sauté in a little oil in a large pot. When the onion starts to brown, add the “birds” and sear them well on all sides, turning them carefully. Season with salt and pepper and pour in a good half liter of meat broth. Braise the roulades for 90-120 minutes with the lid closed. Simply add any leftover bacon or carrot pieces to the sauce and fish them out later or strain them. When the roulades are tender, remove them. Add 1 tablespoon of cucumber juice to the sauce. Thicken the sauce with flour mixed with a little water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes, then add the roulades to the sauce for the last 10 minutes. If desired, refine the sauce with cream. Serve with classic Bohemian dumplings or rice as a side dish. This is a recipe from my grandmother in northern Bohemia. As a child, I didn’t like roulades, especially not the ones with the boiled egg. But with age and a need for nostalgia, I’ve grown to enjoy this dish too. The name translates as “Spanish bird,” but I have no idea what the Spanish have to do with it. If anyone can contribute anything to clarify this, please let me know in the comments.