Brie, Mustard, and Onion Beef Rolls

I was preparing dinner recently and, at the last minute, realised that the meal needed a starter to make it complete. I had some thin slices of beef which we normally eat in the morning for breakfast. I was able to come up with this tasty, light dish to fill the gap.

Brie, Mustard, and Onion Beef Rolls

Ingredients

Topside of Beef, 10mm thick slices

A quarter teaspoon of mustard for each slice

A decent slice of mature Brie for each slice

An onion, cut into wedges and tempered

A little olive oil

I use French mustard with whole mustard seeds. A smooth mustard should work equally well provided it is vinegar rather than water based.

The brie could be substituted by other cheeses but I would recommend using a cheese that turns gooey when heated rather than one that turns stringy (such as mozzarella). The cheese needs to be mature so that its taste doesn't get overpowered by the mustard.

As the dish will be cooked quickly, the onions need to have their rawness taken away but not lose their crispiness. Sauté them lightly in a little olive oil until the rawness has gone but they retain a little bite.

Equipment

A heavy bottomed grill/frying pan

Cocktail sticks

The dish needs to be cooked very quickly at a high heat. Our cooker has a double gas burner that provides comparatively high heat for a domestic cooker. A thin bottomed pan will quickly warp and cause food to cook unevenly and stick to the pan.

Method

Lay out the slices of beef on a plate, slightly stretching them as you do so.

Spread the mustard on the side facing upwards. Place a slice of cheese on top of the mustard and a wedge of onion on top of the cheese.

Ready for rolling 

Roll the slices of beef and secure them with a cocktail stick.

The Beef Rolls waiting to be cooked

Place the pan over a high heat source and wait until it becomes hot. 

Whilst the pan is heating sprinkle a little salt over the rolls.

When the pan is nice and hot, splash a little olive oil around the pan. Place the beef rolls in the pan. Keep the heat high. Turn the rolls so that they brown evenly until you can see that the cheese has melted inside.

Turn them out onto a serving dish or plate and leave them to stand for about five minutes before serving.