Beef Rouladen at Red Hat Ladies Luncheon

| May 18, 2015 | 0 Comments

I was delighted to be asked to be guest chef for a German Food Experience luncheon with the Tofield Red Hat Ladies – the Dames Royale. In researching this organization, I learned that the Red Hat Society was founded in 1998 by Sue Ellen Cooper of Orange County, California who gave a friend a 55th birthday present consisting of a red hat along with a copy of Jenny Joseph`s poem, Warning. The opening lines are:

       When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

       With a red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.

Since then, women all over North America have set up chapters of The Red Hat Society. The purpose of each group is to foster social interaction and a bonding among women. I was delighted to be given an honorary membership by Queen  Sandy after the luncheon. Many thanks!

Dames Royale Luncheon

 

 

 

 

 

The theme of our luncheon was “Foods of Germany” and after canvassing many of my German friends, consensus was that we had to have Beef Rouladen with Gravy, potato dumplings (Kartoffel Klösse), Spaetzle, Rotkohl (Braised Red Cabbage) and Cucumbers  in Sour Cream Dill Sauce. For dessert we had a Hazelnut Butter Cream Torte and my favorite Cherry Torte (from my recently released cookbook, Cherry Desserts Magic).

Beef Rouladen are thin slices of beef from the inside round, first tenderized by pounding with a meat mallet to ensure even thickness of the meat. The the meat is seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper (some chefs like to spread on a little spicy German mustard) and stuffed with bacon, thinly sliced onion and a quarter dill pickle. Our hostess, Mary Ann, and I did a rouladen and potato dumpling demonstration for the gals.

I’ve included both the Beef Rouladen recipe and the Rotkohl (Braised Red Cabbage) recipe below. For the luncheon, I baked the rouladen as per the recipe and then placed the rouladen in a slow cooker to slowly simmer in the broth until serving time. The meat was fork tender and the flavor of the smoky bacon, onion and tangy dill pickle from the stuffing was very subtly evident – not too strong. Just right.

 

Beef Rouladen

Beef Rouladen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Rouladen

8 slices beef, inside round, sliced thinly for Rouladen

1 onion, sliced thinly

8 dill pickle quarters

4 slices smoky bacon, cut in half

Toothpicks

Gravy:

2 tablespoons oil

1 or 2 slices bacon chopped

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven: 350°F.

Oven proof casserole or baking dish with lid – spray lightly with Pam.

  1. Lay each slice of meat on a clean board. Lightly salt and pepper each side and pound with a meat mallet.
  2. On one end, lay a half slice of bacon, a quarter spear of dill pickle, and several thin slices onion.
  3. Tightly roll up each piece and secure with a toothpick.
  4. Brown each roulade on all sides in hot oil in a large stainless steel or caste iron fry pan. Transfer to casserole dish. Keep warm in oven while preparing the beef broth gravy.
  5. For Gravy: Sauté the chopped raw bacon and left over onion slices in the pan you used to brown the meat until bacon is limp and onions are translucent. De-glaze the pan by pouring the beef broth onto the onions and bacon and stirring until all the brown bits have left the sides of the pan.
  6. Pour the beef broth mixture on the rouladen in the casserole. Cover with a lid. Bake in preheated oven  about  2 ½ hours.
  7. When rouladen are fork tender, carefully remove from casserole and arrange on a meat platter. Cover with foil to keep warm.
  8. Dissolve the cornstarch in the ¼ cup cold water. Pour beef broth into saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk  until bubbly and thickened. Slowly pour in cream. Do not  bring to a boil. Just heat the gravy through. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve with spaetzle or potato dumplings (Kartoffel Klösse) and Braised Red Cabbage or green beans.

Serves 4. When preparing Rouladen for dinner, I usually plan on 2 per person.

 

Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl):

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion chopped

6 apples, cored and diced, unpeeled

1 head red cabbage,  shredded

Cider vinegar

Sugar, salt and pepper to taste

  1. In a large dutch oven, sauté onions and apples in oil until softened.
  2. Add shredded purple cabbage.
  3. Add 2 tablespoons cider or white vinegar. Stir vegetables. Add 1 cup water.
  4. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until cabbage is tender.
  5. Taste for seasoning. Add more vinegar, sugar and salt (pepper optional) to taste.
  6. Heat through before serving.
  7. Left over red cabbage can be frozen in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months.

Beef Rouladen at Red Hat Ladies Luncheon and Braised Red Cabbage

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours

Yield: Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

    Rouladen
  • 8 slices beef, inside round, sliced thinly for Rouladen
  • 1 onion, sliced thinly
  • 8 dill pickle quarters
  • 4 slices smoky bacon, cut in half
  • Toothpicks
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • Gravy:
  • 1 or 2 slices bacon chopped
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Braised Red Cabbage:
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 6 apples, cored and diced, unpeeled
  • 1 head red cabbage shredded
  • Cider vinegar
  • Sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

    Rouladen:
  1. Preheat oven: 350°F.
  2. Oven proof casserole or baking dish with lid – spray lightly with Pam.
  3. Lay each slice of meat on a clean board. Lightly salt and pepper each side and pound with a meat mallet.
  4. On one end, lay a half slice of bacon, a quarter spear of dill pickle, and several thin slices onion.
  5. Tightly roll up each piece and secure with a toothpick.
  6. Brown each roulade on all sides in hot oil in a large stainless steel or caste iron fry pan. Transfer to casserole dish. Keep warm in oven while preparing the beef broth gravy.
  7. Sauté the chopped raw bacon and left over onion slices in the pan you used to brown the meat until bacon is limp and onions are translucent. Deglaze the pan by pouring the beef broth onto the onions and bacon and stirring until all the brown bits have left the sides of the pan.
  8. Pour the beef broth on the rouladen in the casserole. Cover with a lid. Bake in preheated oven about 2 ½ hours.
  9. When rouladen are fork tender, carefully remove from casserole and arrange on a meat platter. Cover with foil to keep warm.
  10. Gravy:
  11. Dissolve the cornstarch in the ¼ cup cold water. Pour beef broth into saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture and stir until bubbly and thickened.
  12. Slowly pour in cream. Do not boil. Just heat the gravy through. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.
  13. Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl):
  14. In a large dutch oven, sauté onions and apples in oil until softened.
  15. Add shredded red cabbage.
  16. Add 2 tablespoons cider or white vinegar. Stir vegetables. Add 1 cup water.
  17. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until cabbage is tender.
  18. Taste for seasoning. Add more vinegar, sugar and salt (pepper optional) to taste.
  19. Heat through before serving.
  20. Left over red cabbage can be frozen in freezer bags or containers for up to 3 months.

Notes

For the Red Cabbage, allow about 2 hours from preparation to finished dish.

http://www.bestbakingrecipe.com/beef-rouladen-at-red-hat-ladies-luncheon/

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Category: Baking Tips, Gluten Free, Main Dishes

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: