Roast Beef

[Pinkstanley]

I want to make roast beef this weekend. While I can do a really good roast chicken, beef always seems to defeat me.

Can anyone tell me what to buy and how to make it in easy steps please? Is there a particular joint that’s good?

How do you like your meat? Pink (hopefully not well done!!) or slow cooked?

If pink you need a meat thermometer - most supermarkets sell one if you don’t already have one.

Cut I usually go for is rib off the bone, best for a slow cooked roast is brisket.

You want to season it well with salt, bring to room temp and then start it off in a really hot oven - 240°c and turn down to 180°c after 20 minutes. For medium beef it should 48°c when pierced at the thickest part. Depending on the size I start checking after 45 mins to a hour. Then cover and rest for 30-45mins.

I like silverside or topside.

Season with salt and pepper

Sear it in a little oil in the roasting tin the put on a lid and put in oven

The packaging will tell you how long to cook. It's based on minutes per 100g and whether you prefer rare, medium or well done.

When it comes out if the oven put it in a chopping board to rest for at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile save all the juices and add bisto gravy granules and top up with a little hot water to make a libel gravy.

Rib of beef is the only one to use for roast

I can completely relate. I steered clear from beef because it's not cheap and the disappointment of a dry joint was all to familiar, that was until I stayed with in laws in Northern Ireland and my SIL served up a beautiful roast beef dinner so I asked for the secret and it turned out so simple.
Firstly always buy the joint from the butchers they advise on the best cut and then steam it. I added an extra step of browning it in a hot pan to give a lovely colour and the juices from the pan get poured into the water, plus any juices whilst steaming also end up in the water below which condenses and go into the gravy.
Never had a bad roast beef since using this method

Thank you. Definitely pink and roasted not slow cooked.

Topside from waitrose and cook as per instructions. Knock off 10 mins for rare not medium.

As above but I sit my joint on a pile of vegetables (onions, carrots and courgette for beef, onions carrots and apples for pork) and add a bit of water and a stock cube before roasting. When the meat is resting you can use the juices and vegetables to make a delicious gravy.

We recently invested in a meator and it's been a game changer when cooking our meats. It hooks up to an app on your phone and will tell you when to remove the meat from the oven ect