A Taste of Tradition: Why Our Rouladen is the Best in the Hudson Valley

Located in the Village of Goshen in the heart of the Hudson Valley, there's a dish that tells a story of tradition, patience, and a deep respect for quality ingredients. At Franzel, our rouladen isn't just a meal; it's a testament to the classic German techniques that have made this dish a beloved comfort food for generations. While many restaurants may offer rouladen, we're confident that ours stands out as the best in the region, and it all comes down to a few key details.

The Foundation: Uncompromising Quality

A great dish starts with great ingredients. For our rouladen, we begin with a select cut of Black Angus top round. This isn't just any beef; it’s a high-quality cut that we thinly slice and pound to a perfect, supple texture. This careful preparation ensures the beef is tender and melts in your mouth after a long braise.

The filling is where the magic truly happens. We use sweet, flavorful onions sourced directly from the "Black Dirt" region of Orange County, famous for its rich, fertile soil. These onions are sautéed to bring out their natural sweetness, then layered with smokey bacon and a tangy dill pickle spear. This classic combination of savory, salty, and sour flavors creates a complex and balanced interior to the rouladen.

The Slow Braise: The Secret to Our Sauce

The true secret to our award-winning rouladen is the slow braising process. Once the beef rolls are perfectly tied, they are gently placed in a pot with our meticulously crafted in-house stock. We spend hours simmering beef bones and vegetables to create a deep, rich stock that forms the foundation of our sauce.

This isn't a quick process. The rouladen is slowly braised for hours, allowing the flavors to meld and deepen, and the meat to become fork-tender. After the meat is cooked, we strain the stock and then reduce it with red wine until it transforms into a silky, intensely flavorful sauce that is both luxurious and comforting.

The Perfect Accompaniments

No rouladen is complete without its traditional side dishes, and we make sure ours are just as exceptional as the main course. Our spätzle is made fresh daily in our kitchen, creating light, delicate dumplings with a satisfying chew. And our red cabbage is slow-braised to a perfect tenderness, balancing sweet and tangy notes that cut through the richness of the beef and sauce.

When you sit down to a plate of our rouladen, you're not just getting a meal. You're getting a culinary experience born from tradition, elevated by the best local ingredients, and perfected through patience and passion. Come taste the difference for yourself and discover why our rouladen is, without a doubt, the best in the Hudson Valley.