Despite the French sounding name roulade is a typical German recipe I learnt from my German flatmate Anna. It is quite similar to what in Italy we call involtino.

Ingredients
4 beef steaks in large, thin slices
Slices of ham or bacon
4 carrots
1 celery
1 leek
2 onions
6 big gherkins – from the Spreewald if you can!!!
Mustard
Salt
Pepper
1 glass red wine
olive oil

Preparation
1. Prepare the Fillung (filling) by chopping half the carrots, celeries, leeks, onions and gherkins and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Mix everything up with a mixer until you reach a spreading texture.
2. Make the beef steaks flat and softer by hitting it with a glass or something similar – this is what the Germans call plattieren!
3. Spread a layer of mustard, add one or two slices of ham or bacon and then add a layer of filling.
4. Roll the steak and tie it up with a string.
5. Cut the rest of the carrots, celeries, leeks, onions and gherkins, and season it.
5. Oil the casserole with olive oil, add the meat, cook it alone for some minutes then add the wine and chopped vegetables. Add some water and braise it for at least 40 minutes at low temperatures.
6. Serve the roulade with the gravy and a green salad.