Ontario Beef Rouladen

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 small onions, minced, divided
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 16 thin slices beef top round
• 4 large dill pickles, quartered lengthwise
• 2/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups water
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/3 cup sherry
• 4 packets beef bouillon granules
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed
• 1/3 cup cold water, or as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in a large frying pan; stir in 1 onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Stir pork, ground beef, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; stir in onion. Pour beaten eggs over meat mixture; mix with your hands until well combined.

Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of meat mixture onto each beef slice; top each with one pickle quarter. Roll beef slices around filling; secure each roll with a toothpick.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in the same frying pan; place rolls into pan and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove rolls; place in a single layer in a roasting pan.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the same frying pan over medium heat; cook and stir remaining onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3 cups water, tomato paste, sherry, bouillon granules, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Pour sauce over rolls in roasting pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 3 hours; remove from oven to turn rolls over halfway through the cooking time.

Remove rolls to a heated platter. Place roasting pan with sauce on the stove; bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch and 1/3 cup water together in a cup; slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Drizzle some sauce over the rouladen; serve the remaining sauce in a gravy boat.