Beef Rouladen

Even though I really liked this dish, I stopped making it some years ago. I don't own a Dutch oven (yet) and was always impatient cooking it on the stove, so I ended up with meat that was a little chewy. My husband remembered the dish and a few years ago asked me to make it for dinner. It was then that I decided to adapt it to the Instant Pot and fell back in love with this dish! The electric pressure cooker makes this tender every time in two-thirds of the time.

Step 1: Lay the tenderized round steak on a cutting board vertically, then cut in thirds horizontally.

Step 2: Season the meat cuts with half of the salt and pepper then spread the mustard onto all three meat cuts.

Step 3: Slice half the onion into strips and lay them on top of the mustard.

Step 4: Next lay 1-2 strips of bacon on top of the onions.

Step 5: Place your cut butcher's twine next to the cutting board then one-by-one roll each meat cut tightly and tuck in any bacon or onion that sticks out. Then tie a strand of butcher's twine around each end tightly.

Step 6: Press the saute button on the electric pressure cooker. When the front screen shows hot, add 2 Tbsps. of avocado oil. Let warm for 15 seconds then add the rouladen and sear on all sides. I had some extra bacon and onions and added those to the pot as well.

Step 7: Once the rouladen are all seared, remove them from the pot and set them on a plate. Pour a couple of ounces of the beef broth into the pot and scrape the cooked bits from the bottom (this is called deglazing the pot). This adds additional flavor to the gravy and prevents the bottom of the pot from burning during cooking. Once all the bits are scraped off, add the remaining beef broth to the pot and return the rouladen, and any juices from the plate, back into the pot.

Step 8: Close and seal the lid of the electric pressure cooker and set it to cook on High for 20 minutes. Once completed, leave the pot for another 10-minute natural pressure release. Then release any additional steam and open the pot. The meat should be fork-tender.

Step 9: Remove the rouladen from the pot, place on a clean plate, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Step 10: Strain the juices from the electric pressure cooker pot through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Put the strained juices back into the pot to make gravy.

Step 11: Mix 1/2 cup of the juice with 3 Tbsp. of arrowroot powder (or corn starch). Press the cancel button on the electric pressure cooker to turn off the keep warm function. Then press the saute button. Pour the arrowroot powder mixture into the pot and whisk well. Allow it to come to a low boil and thicken. If the gravy is not thick enough, repeat the arrowroot step with less of the juice and powder and add to the pot. If the gravy gets too thick, add a bit more of the broth. Taste the gravy and season as desired.

Step 12: Serve the rouladen with egg noodles or potatoes of your choice and vegetables. I chose garlic mashed potatoes and parmesan air-fried carrots. Enjoy!

Store any leftover rouladen and gravy in separate containers

Other cooking methods: The original way I learned to make this dish was in a pan on the stove. In order to get the meat cooked through and tender, the recipe needs about 90 minutes to cook until fork-tender. It can also be started on the stove in a Dutch oven and then placed into a preheated oven to 325°F and roast for 90 minutes. 

NOTE: The beef broth, arrowroot powder, butcher's twine, and avocado oil were accidentally omitted from the ingredient photo.

Recipe by Victoria Cook:

Victoria is a home cook turned host and cook for 100+ episodes of a private cooking show for wellness practitioners and their patients. As a lover of ethnic cuisines, she uses a variety of spices and fresh ingredients to make flavorful healthy meals for her husband and son. She loves to challenge herself with new recipes and if she can make them in an electric pressure cooker, she’s even happier.