Anna Maria's Rouladen

Ingredients

• 1 package dumpling mix, (recommended: Panni brand) available on International Foods aisle
• 4 slices bacon
• 4 thin slices beef sirloin, just over 1 pound, ask the butcher to cut the meat 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and pepper
• 4 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls
• 4 dill pickle spears
• Toothpicks or kitchen twine
• 2 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups good quality chicken stock, available on the soup aisle
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Prepare dumpling mix to package directions*. See note:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Form several large balls, 2 to 3 inches thick, of dumpling mix. Add to the boiling water then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Place bacon in a skillet over medium heat and render fat by cooking bacon about 3 minutes. As edges just begin to crisp, remove bacon from the skillet and transfer to paper towels to drain.

Season slices of sirloin with salt and pepper. Spread each slice of meat with a rounded spoonful of mustard. Top mustard with a generous scatter of chopped parsley. Top seasoned and mustard-coated meat with a slice of bacon and a dill pickle spear each. Place the bacon and pickle off center closer to 1 edge of the meat than the other. Roll the steaks around the filling and secure with toothpicks or kitchen twine. Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, 2 turns of the pan, then meat rolls. Cook meat 2 to 3 minutes, then give it a quarter turn. Cook meat a total of 10 to 12 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add butter to the meat pot and melt. Add flour to the butter and whisk together, cooking 2 minutes. Add chicken stock to the flour and butter and scrape up pan drippings. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in sour cream and remove from heat.

Remove toothpicks or twine from meat. Set meat roll and large dumpling on a dinner plate and cover with sour cream gravy. Quick sauteed cabbage makes a simple side dish, see recipe below.

*Note: "I like a denser dumpling rather than a lighter one, so I use 1/2 the amount of water that the box calls for. I make smaller dumplings so they cook faster." "If you like a lighter dumpling, it needs to be the first thing you start because it takes a little longer to cook." Our dumplings took 10 minutes to cook.