Bierkutscher Rouladen (Beer Coachman Roulade - Pork Roulade)

Tea Girl's Note:

This is a recipe my husband likes to make, it is good when you have guests because you don't really have to keep an eye on it after it is in the pot. Some of the measures are approximate because it just done on how it looks. Malzbier is a sweet non-/low alcohol beer, regular beer won't do because of the sweetness of Malzbier. I know it is hard to get in the US so if you find a suitable substitute, please tell me because my parents live there and like this recipe. :)

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 6.0 roulade

• 1 large apple (Granny smith seems to be best)
• 300 g wine-cured sauerkraut , drained (you can use normal sauerkraut but is better with wine sauerkraut)
• 150 g creme fraiche
• 12 slices bacon (thin slices)
• 900 g thin pork fillets , 6 fillets (about 1/2 cm thick)
• toothpick
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 500 ml malt beer (Malzbier)
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (we usually just use something called sauce thicker)

Directions:

1. Peel the apples, remove core and chop into small cubes.
2. In a large bowl, mix wine sauerkraut, crème fraîche and apples together.
3. Lay flat the pork fillets, lay two pieces of bacon on the fillets and top with sauerkraut mixture.
4. Roll up lengthwise, and put together toothpicks, usually 3 work, one on each end and one in the middle, but you might need more for bigger pieces.
5. Heat oil in a pan and light fry on all sides.
6. Meanwhile, heat up the Malzbier and Vegetable broth in a large pot.
7. After fried, put in pot with Malzbier and Vegetable broth, add water or more Malzbier to cover Rouladen.
8. Cook for about an hour at a simmer.
9. Remove Rouladen and put some of the liquid in a small sauce pan.
10. Heat and whisk in sauce thicker until thick, add more sauce thicker, if necessary. If you are using cornstarch, dissolve first in cold water and then add to sauce.
11. Serve Rouladen with sauce on top and with Knödel (dumplings) or Spätzle.

Reviews

[DrGaellon]

The long simmer left the thin cutlets of pork dry and a little tough. The bacon, because it was inside the rolls, never crisped; it was flabby and fatty. (I used an apple lambic, since I couldn't find the malzbier, figuring it was sweet and not hoppy, even though it's full-alcohol.)

[Mom2Rose]

Spring PAC 2009: OUTSTANDING!! What a wonderful German dish!