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Bacon and thyme stuffed beef rolls with red wine sauce

The wonderful stuffing in this recipe is full of flavour and the bacon adds an extra meatiness to the tender beef rolls. When served, add a sense of decadence with a sauce enriched with red wine and a parsley garnish.

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Bacon and thyme stuffed beef rolls with red wine sauce

For the beef rolls

  • 4 x 100g slices lean topside of irish beef
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the red wine sauce

  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 300 ml red wine
  • 600 ml beef stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs

For the stuffing

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • good knob butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 rindless streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
  • 100g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

To serve

  • parsnip and potato mash

For the beef rolls

  • 4 x 100g slices lean topside of irish beef
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the red wine sauce

  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 300 ml red wine
  • 600 ml beef stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs

For the stuffing

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • good knob butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 rindless streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish
  • 100g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

To serve

  • parsnip and potato mash
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Step 1

Start off with the stuffing. Heat the oil and butter in a saute pan, add the onion and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the parsley and breadcrumbs and season to taste. Spread the stuffing over the beef slices and roll them up to enclose, securing them with a cocktail stick.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 180 C/350F/Gas mark 4. To prepare the casserole, heat the oil in a casserole dish with a lid over a high heat and sear the beef rolls until brown all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 3

Next, saute the carrots in the casserole dish with the onion and celery for a few minutes until just catching colour. Add the tomato puree, wine, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring slowly to the boil. Return the beef rolls to the casserole, cover and cook in oven for 1-1½ hours. Remove the beef and using a blender, blitz the sauce until smooth. Pass through a sieve and season to taste. If you think the sauce is a little too thin, just reduce down as necessary.

Step 4

To serve, remove the cocktail sticks from the beef parcels and slice them on the diagonal. Arrange them on warmed plates, pour over the sauce and garnish with the parsley. Serve at once with with parsnip and potato mash.

Copy Text

Step 1

Start off with the stuffing. Heat the oil and butter in a saute pan, add the onion and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the parsley and breadcrumbs and season to taste. Spread the stuffing over the beef slices and roll them up to enclose, securing them with a cocktail stick.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 180 C/350F/Gas mark 4. To prepare the casserole, heat the oil in a casserole dish with a lid over a high heat and sear the beef rolls until brown all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 3

Next, saute the carrots in the casserole dish with the onion and celery for a few minutes until just catching colour. Add the tomato puree, wine, beef stock, bay leaf and thyme and bring slowly to the boil. Return the beef rolls to the casserole, cover and cook in oven for 1-1½ hours. Remove the beef and using a blender, blitz the sauce until smooth. Pass through a sieve and season to taste. If you think the sauce is a little too thin, just reduce down as necessary.

Step 4

To serve, remove the cocktail sticks from the beef parcels and slice them on the diagonal. Arrange them on warmed plates, pour over the sauce and garnish with the parsley. Serve at once with with parsnip and potato mash.