German Beef Rouladen

Serves 8

Wrapped meat:

8 slices of top round beef, 1/4 - inch thick, gently pounded with a meat mallet

1/3 cup of German yellow mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 slices of bacon

8 dill pickle spears

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Gravy:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small leek, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 large stalk of celery, chopped

1 cup dry red wine

2 cups beef broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons butter chilled

Cornstarch as needed for roux

1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Lay out prepared beef slices and spread with mustard, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a slice of bacon, a pickle and chopped onions inside and roll, securing with toothpicks.

2. To make simmering gravy, heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven. Place meat rolls in the hot oil mixture and brown all sides and remove to a platter.

3. Add onions to hot oil mixture and cook until soft. Add garlic, leeks, carrot and celery to onion and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine and add broth, tomato paste, sugar and salt and pepper. Return meat rolls to the pan and cover to braise for 90 minutes in a 325-degree oven.

4. Remove meat from pan and thicken cooking juices with a gentle sprinkling of cornstarch or roux.

Once mixture begins to thicken, whisk in sour cream and a pad or two of chilled butter.

5. Remove toothpicks from meat rolls and served ladled with sauce.