iStock/bonchan
Advisory Board member Birgit Gruess shares the best of her holiday.
This time of year brims with holiday traditions—the baking-, cooking- and memory-making kinds. Some of our Advisory Board members share how they wrap the holidays in extra special ways: Eric Hagemann, Natalie Conrad, Jennie Zafft, Lorrie Link
“As an immigrant from Germany, we still hold onto the tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve. We reserve a table for dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant, Biaggi’s in Maple Grove, and, after coming home, we enjoy opening up presents. Christmas day is filled with relaxation and cooking a nice lunch, which traditionally consists of German-style rouladen, cooked red cabbage and boiled potatoes. We don’t go anywhere that day and just enjoy each other’s company.” —Birgit Gruess, writer and editor
Rinderrouladen
(serves six)
- 6 ¼-inch slices of top round steaks, totaling about 2–3 pounds. (Order the meat at a butcher store like Brothers Meat & Seafood in Maple Grove.)
- Mustard
- ½ lb. Hamburger, spiced
- 1 Onion, sliced thin
- 3 slices Bacon
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Egg
- Vegetable oil
- Beef or vegetable broth
Mix hamburger, salt, pepper, mustard and egg. Form small oval patties. Set aside. Wash and pat dry the meat. Lay out each thin slice of beef on a cutting board or kitchen counter. Apply mustard in a thin layer on the inside of each slice. Spice generously with salt and pepper. Place one piece of bacon on one end of the roulade. Add the raw, spiced hamburger patties on top of the bacon, and top with onion slices. Roll up the roulade on the side of the hamburger, just like a tortilla, and secure it with cooking twine. In a skillet, heat the oil on medium heat, and sear the rouladens on each side. Place them in a pressure cooker, and cover with beef or vegetable broth (fresh herbs if desired). Close top, and heat on high until pressure builds, and the indicator rod rises. Turn down the heat once the second ring on the indicator rod appears. (Follow the instructions of your pressure cooker). Cook for about 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove cooker from heat, and let stand for a few minutes. Slowly release all the pressure, and open the lid. If needed, close the lid, and cook for additional 5-10 minutes. Once the rouladens are tender, remove them carefully, and set them aside. Thicken the broth in the pressure cooker with some cornstarch to make gravy. Remove the twine from each rouladen, and serve with boiled potatoes, gravy and red cabbage. Enjoy!
