Help - vegetarian buys beef, doesn't know how to cook it!

[percypig]

Title says it all really. DH and DS are most definitely not veggies, and I'm trying to expand my repertoire of meat dishes.

I bought a 'mini roasting joint' of silverside (450g) today with the idea of roasting it with veg and potatoes. Now I'm not really sure how to go about it. Having done a quick search it seems I should possibly seal first, then probably pot roast with some liquid (but what?) How long should I cook it for? I have a big casserole thing with a lid or a variety of others with no lids, none of which really seem the right size.

Help!

Not experienced enough to really help in this instance, I'm afraid, but I'm trying to learn to cook meat myself and have found this invaluable.

i always like the recipes on this site

Thanks. Book does look interesting Kathy, though no help tonight! Nailpolish, a search on bbc site comes up with...nothing. Have I bought the worst type of beef?

i am not great at cooking but you could simply just put some oil and butter on the top and wrap it in tin foil and shove in over for sometime to roast and do the veg seperately

i dont know how to make gravy tho, i just buy the fresh stuff from the deli

did you get it from the butcher? ask him what to do

or is it supermarket? does it have instructions

I would roast it. Shove in oven proof dish , cover in foil and sling it in the oven. details here

on the bbc site search for 'beef' and theres millions

any beef joint can be done as silverside

delia

The great H F-W in the book I linked says fast roasting with a view to eating rare isn't good for silverside but it gives good results with a slow pot roast with lots of fat and aromatics.

silverside is fine to roast - as long as you dont expect it to be well done as itll be dry

you need lots of seasoning and gravy IMO

Chop a celery stick, a carrot & an onion. Sit joint on top. Pour round 1pt of water (or 1pt stock made with oxo cube). Cook at about 180 (gas 4) for 30mins per lb + 30mins for each kilo - so...yours would take about an hour. Take a 'test' stab in the middle with a knife. If it's too bloody for your taste cook for another 20 mins.
Take out put on a plate, cover with foil & rest it for 10 mins before carving.
Should be nice & moist & tender (and low fat)

Silverside is not really a cut suitable for oven roasting but is more usually pot roasted.

Brown two large onions in a casserole dish, add some finely chopped carrots, celery and a bay leaf. Prown the joint in oil in a frying pan and then transfer to the casserole dish. Add enough stock to come half way up the joint.

Casserole for around 2 hours or so depending on how big it is.

Season to taste.

When the meat is tender, transfer the meat to a seperate dish and cover to keep warm.

Turn the heat up under the casserole dish and add a small glass of red wine. Keep simmering until the liquid is reduced down liquid by 1/3 or so. Mix 1oz butter with 1ox plain flower until it is like a paste - whisk in a bit at a time of this mix into the liquid (do this quite slowly). Keep going until the liquid is like a glossy, gravy consistency.

Carve the joint and serve with the gravy and veg of your choice

Thanks everyone, one last question - you can tell I'm not used to cooking much meat, if it's in a big casserole will that make it dry out more? I'm thinking the extra air may do something?!?

I think the atmosphere around it will be steamy enough to be ok.

I too will be using some of these yummy recipes. Thanks guys