It’s not that I didn’t appreciate growing up in the South surrounded by fabulous food and great cooks, but the lure of my best friend’s mom and her exotic kitchen was too much to resist. Lottie Strupp lived as a child in Germany and escaped during the war. Her childhood story was one of heartbreak and bravery that she rarely mentioned. Instead, she let me share her happy home and made sure I felt like I belonged there. I was frequently the “fourth child” at their dinner table. The Strupp’s dinner table was a marvelous magical place. First of all, they ate in courses, and I don’t mean the biscuits went on the table first so you could butter them while they were hot. I’ll never forget having a small bowl of consommé with a dollop of sour cream and a twist of lemon set in front of me, and that was on a Tuesday night! And it wasn’t even anyone’s birthday! They really ate that way all the time. The menus were elaborate and very European. In a world before Bon Appetite and Food TV, I felt like Alice in Wonderland when I ate at the Strupp’s house. When I went to college, Lottie gave me a collection of recipes that I cherish and still use all the time. (The Lasagna is to die for) At this point, I could write a short novella just describing the meals we savored from Lottie’s kitchen, but instead I’m going to do the nice thing and share one of her recipes. This recipe for Beef Roulade was not in my original collection, but I remembered the dish and talked about it all the time. In fact I had just described Beef Roulades to some friends who like to “talk food” and knew I had to call Lottie for the recipe. I saw her last week and she dug through her files and found the recipe, an old handwritten copy that she claimed not to have thought of in awhile. I was ecstatic – I may frame that recipe – but first I’m going to pass it along.
I made Beef Roulade for a Sunday night dinner for my family and after the initial delight of sharing one of the best meals ever, they were just mad that I hadn’t been making this for years. I’m kind of mad about it too. I’ll remedy that by making it frequently now that it’s a new family favorite! Thank you Lottie for sharing your home, your table, and your recipes. It’s not that I don’t have a perfectly lovely mother of my own, but having Lottie as a second option was a pretty marvelous way to grow up.
Ingredients
2½ lb round steak
3 Tbsp mustard
6 bacon strips
3 dill pickle spears, thinly sliced
Garlic salt
Pepper
Paprika
Flour, salt, and pepper for dusting
Canola or vegetable oil for sautéing
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup red wine
Directions
Spread mustard on the steak.
Cut steak into strips about 1½ inches wide.
On each strip, put a small piece of bacon, and several thin slices of pickle.
Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, and paprika.
Roll up each steak strip tightly, and secure with 2 toothpicks.
Dust each piece with flour, salt and pepper.
In a large deep skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom by ½ inch.
Brown beef roulades in batches, removing the browned roulades to a plate.
In the same skillet, sauté the onions for a minute or two to soften.
Add wine and stir up any browned bits in the skillet.
Return roulades to the skillet and add beef stock.
Inventing a Top
Cover and simmer over low heat for 1½ hours, or until very tender, adding more wine or stock if necessary.
Enjoy!
Sallie and Barbie, High School Graduation
