Oktoberfest Day 1-Rouladen

I love German food and thought I would share a few recipes with you this week.  Rouladen is my absolute favorite.  When you hear the ingredients you may find them a little strange, but trust me, they are yummy!

1 large onion chopped

8 oz dill pickles chopped

Diced Bacon cooked

Spicy Brown Mustard (German senf is the best)

2 1/2 cups beef stock

1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced beef

Step 1: Chop up onions and pickles.

 Step 2: After pounding the meat flat (use a tenderizer or the side of a plate), spread a layer of mustard on each piece.

Step 3: top with pickles, onions, and bacon pieces (did I loose you-stick w/ me I know it sounds strange, but it's yummy).  Instead of bacon bits, you can use 1-2 pieces of raw bacon for each roll-it's more authentic, but I don't like the idea of all that bacon fat.

Step 4: Roll it up like a burrito and secure with a toothpick. (Apparently after this step, I got so excited about eating the Rouladen that I forgot to take pictures. )

Step 5: Brown the rolls in a little olive oil or butter.

Step 6: Add beef stock . Because I can't let anything go to waste, I dump in any leftover onions and pickles.  Cover and let simmer a few hours.

If you want to be authentic you should add some Maggi (it's kinda like German soy sauce) or just add salt to taste.

Step 7: Right before serving, remove rolls.  Mix a 1/2 cup cold water and 1/4 cup flour.  Gradually add to pan and stir until mixed well and it makes a thick gravy.

Serve with Rotkohl and Spaetzel

I made this a few nights ago and I'm all out of leftovers and this picture is making me hungry.

   UPDATE:    I wanted to make Rouladen but I was missing a few ingredients.  I made some substitutions and I think it was the best EVER! 
I used sweet relish instead of chopped dill pickles
I used Pancetta instead of bacon.
I cooked it in the slow cooker for 4 hours on high.

Linking up HERE.