The "Rolled Beef" Revival
ראָולד רינדערנס·(rold rin-derns)
Quick Deli Lunches (American Suburbs)
If you grew up in a Jewish-American suburb, you probably think a 'deli roll' is just store-bought turkey baked in frozen puff pastry. Forget that noise. The real deal—the giant panda of the old-world kosher butcher shop—is rold rinderns, or rolled beef. It is an endangered masterpiece of lean beef cured heavily with garlic and black pepper, tied tight, and smoked low. Almost no commercial delis make it anymore because it takes time, but that time is entirely passive. We skip the commercial smoker for a low-and-slow oven roast and a weekend fridge cure, yielding a week's worth of mind-blowing, authentic cold cuts ready for a Tuesday afternoon.
Before you start
Pound the beef to an even thickness.
Lay the flank steak flat on a cutting board, cover it with plastic wrap, and use a meat mallet to pound it firmly until it is an even 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness across the entire surface so it rolls evenly.
Ingredients
- flank steak or thin brisket flat3 lb
- kosher salt3 tbsp
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- Prague Powder #11 tsp
- garlic cloves6 med
- smoked paprika1 tbsp
- liquid hickory smoke1 tsp
- whole black peppercorns3 tbsp
- whole coriander seeds3 tbsp
Method
- 01
Mix and apply the wet-dry cure.
In a small bowl, mix the kosher salt, sugar, Prague Powder #1, minced garlic, smoked paprika, and liquid smoke into a gritty paste, then rub it aggressively into both sides of the flattened beef.
- 02
Roll and tie the meat as tightly as possible.
Starting from the shortest end, roll the beef up like a jelly roll, pulling it as taut as you can manage. Secure the roll with butcher's twine tied tightly at 1-inch intervals to ensure it holds together when sliced.
- 03
Let the meat cure in the refrigerator.
Wrap the tied beef tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap, place it on a small baking sheet, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days. Flip the roll once a day to ensure the cure penetrates evenly.
- 04
Crush the spices and coat the roll.
Unwrap the beef without rinsing it. Coarsely crack the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a heavy bag using your mallet, pour them onto a plate, and press the tied beef firmly into the mixture until the outside is practically black with spices.
- 05
Roast low and slow.
Preheat your oven to 225°F. Place the rolled beef on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the dead center hits exactly 160°F. This will typically take 3 to 4 hours.
- 06
Chill the beef completely before slicing.
Do not slice it hot. Let the beef cool to room temperature on the counter, then wrap it tightly in foil and refrigerate it overnight so the proteins bind and the roll solidifies into a proper cold cut.
- 07
Slice thin and serve cold.
Remove the butcher's twine and use your sharpest knife or a home meat slicer to shave the rolled beef paper-thin. Pile it high on fresh rye bread with a heavy smear of spicy brown deli mustard.
Notes
Curing salt is non-negotiable.
Prague Powder #1 is what gives authentic deli meats their characteristic rosy color and sharp tang, safely preserving the meat during the cold-cure and low-temp roast. Don't skip it, or you'll just end up with a salty gray roast beef.