Making a roulade can be either easy or hard. Make it easy by starting with properly sliced meat. See “Get to Know Your Butcher” on having him/her give you meat for a roulade.
Here are some tips for making sure you can easily, quickly, and reliably make good roulades.
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Start with really thin meat.
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Cut your butcher twine in advance so that its ready to use when you need it. This will help keep the roulades tight.
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Yes… use butcher twine, not toothpicks to secure the roulades.
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Don’t over stuff them. Keep the things you’re using for stuffing as small as practical. As the meat cooks, it shrinks, and if the roulade is overstuffed, the stuffing will "ooze".
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When putting cheese in a roulade cut it into small sticks and bread them. The breading will keep the cheese together and prevent it from leaking out. If you try to make “leak proof” individual portion roulades you’ll fail because the ends will be too thick.
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Don’t tie the roulades any tighter than necessary to keep them together. Tie them too tight and everything squeezes out as the string further tightens in the oven.
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Every roulade should have at least three ties. One in the middle and one as close as practical to each end.