Danish Beef Roulades

How to make it

1. Pound the meat slices to an even thickness of about 5 mm between two sheets of parchment paper. Strike flat and outward rather than straight down, so the fibers stay intact and the meat doesn't tear when it's rolled.
2. Season the slices on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Lay a slice of bacon and a little of the coarsely chopped parsley on each slice. Roll them up tightly from the narrow end. Tie each roll with kitchen twine in two places, so it feels firm and sealed — a loose roll will lose its filling during simmering. ⏱ 15 min
   Chef's tip Roll with the grain running the length of the roll, so each slice you cut later crosses the fibers. Tuck the bacon in from the edges — bacon poking out will curl and pull the roll open.
3. Melt the frying butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it stops foaming. Brown the rolls in two batches, turning them as you go, until they have a deep brown crust all the way around. The crust is where the sauce gets its color and flavor from, so don't compromise on it.
   Chef's tip Wait until the butter's foaming subsides and the sound quiets — that means the water has boiled off and the pan is hot enough to brown. Leave space between the rolls; crowded, they release steam and turn grey instead of brown.
4. Return all the browned rolls to the pot and pour in the beef stock. Scrape the bottom loose with a wooden spoon as the liquid comes to a boil, so the browned bits release and color the braising liquid dark.
5. Cover with a lid and let the rolls simmer over low heat for 60 minutes, until a fork slides into the meat without resistance. ⏱ 1 h · passive
   Chef's tip Keep it at a lazy bubble, not a rolling boil — hard boiling squeezes the muscle fibers and leaves the meat stringy despite the long time. The connective tissue needs time near, not at, boiling to soften.
6. Peel the potatoes while the rolls simmer. Cut the largest ones in half so all the pieces are the same size and cook through at the same time. Put them in a pot with cold water and a couple of teaspoons of salt.
   Chef's tip A cold start means the outside and the center reach boiling point at roughly the same time; drop the potatoes into boiling water and the edges turn mushy before the middle is done.
7. Boil the potatoes covered for 20 minutes, until a knife slides easily into the center, and drain the water off. ⏱ 20 min · passive
8. Lift the rolls out of the pot and place them on a platter under a piece of foil. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, so the sauce becomes clear and free of loose browned bits.
9. Melt the sauce butter in the empty pot and whisk in the flour. Let the roux bubble until it smells lightly toasted and has turned pale golden.
10. Add the strained braising liquid a little at a time while whisking constantly, so the sauce becomes smooth without lumps. Let it cook through for 5 minutes, until the floury taste is gone.
    Chef's tip The first additions matter most: add just a splash and whisk it to a thick paste before the next, so no dry flour is left to clump. Once it's smooth and loose, the rest can go in faster.
11. Stir in the heavy cream and let the sauce come back to a boil for 4 minutes, until it flows slowly and coats the spoon. Season with salt and pepper, going easy on the salt since both the stock and the bacon have already salted the liquid.
12. Snip the kitchen twine off the rolls and return them to the finished sauce. Let them heat through over low heat for 3 minutes, until they're warmed all the way through and the surface is glossy with sauce.
13. Place two rolls per person on a flat plate and spoon the sauce over the meat. Set the boiled potatoes alongside. Put the pickled beets on the table in a small bowl, so everyone can help themselves to their own tang for the meal.