andrejthechef
GermanyRoastDinner

Rinderrouladen mit Rotkohl

Thin beef rolls filled with mustard, bacon, onion and pickle, braised until tender and served with sweet-sour red cabbage and gravy.

prep
40 min
cook
2 h
total
2 h 40 min
serves
4
level
medium
Rinderrouladen mit Rotkohl, a dish from Across Germany

Rinderrouladen shows up on Sunday tables across Germany: thin beef rolled around mustard, bacon, onion and a pickle, browned, then braised slowly until it falls apart under a fork.

Red cabbage is not an afterthought side here, it is the dish's other half, cooked down with apple and vinegar into something sweet-sour that cuts through the rich, meaty roll. Make it ahead if you can; it only improves overnight.

Part of our 20 best German recipes list.

method

  1. Lay the beef slices flat and season with salt and pepper. Spread each with a tablespoon of mustard.

  2. Layer bacon, a few onion slices and a quarter of pickle across one end of each slice.

  3. Roll each slice up tightly around the filling and secure with roulade pins, toothpicks, or kitchen string.

  4. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the rolls on all sides, about 5 minutes total.

  5. Add the remaining onion, stock and wine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the beef is fully tender.

  6. Meanwhile, for the red cabbage, cook the shredded cabbage and grated apple with the vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and clove in a covered pot over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until soft and glossy. Season with salt.

  7. Lift the rolls out and remove the pins or string. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan, skim the fat, and thicken with a cornstarch slurry if needed.

  8. Serve the rolls with the gravy and red cabbage, alongside potato dumplings or boiled potatoes.

chef's tips

  • Pound the beef slices thin and even before filling. Uneven thickness means some rolls cook through before others.
  • Roll tightly and secure well. A loose roll unravels in the pot and loses its filling into the braising liquid.
  • The red cabbage genuinely benefits from being made a day ahead; it reheats well and the flavor deepens overnight.
  • A pickle in the filling is traditional and not just for crunch, its brine seasons the inside of the roll as it braises.