Roast Beef Dinner

Roast beef is my boyfriend’s favourite meal and so we make it quite often. The sides vary but I thought I’d write a recipe for way I cook my beef every time and also the most recent dishes to the beef. I tend to make seasonal sides so feel this is quite an autumnal recipe. I also use British produce as much as possible- especially the meat. I bought a Salmon Cut from The Store- one of my favourite farm shops/butchers. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend. I’d never tried the salmon cut before but really enjoyed it- the of fat on the top melted down and became a delicious crust. Other cuts that work well for a roast are topside, rib or rump. To be honest, I usually just go for a cut that is on offer/best size/looks best. To serve around 4 people, a 1.3kg cut will be plenty. Other than the start of the beef, the dishes all cook at 180C. There is a handy timing guide at the end of this article.

RECIPE

SERVES 4/5

FOR THE BEEF:

• 1.3kg beef joint of your choice
• 2 tablespoons of mustard (any works- I used Dijon)
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 carrots, halved lengthways
• 2 onions,cut into quarters
• Bulb of garlic, left whole
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

1. First, make sure you take the beef out of the fridge around an hour before cooking. This ensures even cooking and tender meat. Heat the oven to its highest setting.
2. Rub with olive oil
3. Season all over with lots of salt and pepper.
4. Rub in the mustard powder, mustard and flour (it should create a paste type covering that will become a crust)
5. Place the carrot, onion and garlic in a roasting tin and top with the beef.
6. Now for the maths: cook for 30 minutes at the highest temperature your oven can go. After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 180C and cook for 15 minutes per 500g. Therefore, a 1.3kg will take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. This will cook the beef medium rare. For rare, reduce by 15 minutes. For well done, increase by 15 minutes. Check on the beef frequently, basting with any juices that have come out. If the vegetables are starting to burn add a cupful of water to the tray. Once the beef has cooked, let it rest for at least half an hour before carving into slices.

FOR THE BUTTERNUT DAUPHINOIS

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 150ml double cream
• Around 200g grated cheese (I used extra mature cheddar)
• Bunch of sage, finely chopped. (Optional)

1. Cut the squash in half, no need to peel. Use the slimmer half that doesn’t contain seeds for this recipe. (The rest will keep in the fridge for over a week)
2. Heat the cream and crushed garlic in a small pan until almost simmering. Take off the heat and let infuse.
3. Using a mandolin, slice the squash into thin rounds. I highly recommend a mandolin as a cheap way to thinly slice vegetables but if you don’t have one, just slice as thin as you can. (It will take ages and you won’t want to do it again, so just buy a mandolin- this is the one I have)
4. Put a layer of squash in the bottom of a dish (judge the size of the dish on the amount of people you’re cooking for) top with salt and pepper, a sprinkle of the cheese (just about cover the squash) and then drizzle over some of the cream and sage leaves.
5. Repeat layering up until you get to the top layer and have used up all the ingredients. For the top later, pour the rest of the cream over before the remaining cheese (the opposite way to the layers before)
6. Bake for around 25 minutes.Its bestleave it for around 5 minutes out of oven before trying to portion it as it firms up a bit.

FOR THE ROAST POTATOES

• About 8 medium potatoes
• Sunflower oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into halves- I find the best roast potatoes are larger than you would think.
2. Boil the potatoes in cold heavily salted water (important!) for around 8 minutes until softened but not fully cooked.
3. Drain and let steam whilst you heat a large baking dish in the oven containing around an inch of sunflower oil.
4. Remove the dish after around 5 minutes. One by one, put the potatoes in the dish, turning each potato with a spoon so that they are coated in oil.
5. Cook for 25 minutes. Do not touch them before 25 minutes are up. Take out the oven and turn each potato again, coating in oil.
6. Cook for a further 25 minutes without touching them, until crisp and golden.

RED WINE GRAVY

1. In a saucepan, melt 20g butter and stir in 20g of flour and a crumbled beef stock cube. Cook out for a couple of minutes

2. Add a large glass of red wine, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 200ml beef stock and simmer. Add a sprig of rosemary (optional)

3. Squeeze the garlic from the skins (from the beef) mash with a fork and stir into the pan along with some of the roasted onion from the beef.

4. Summer until slightly thickened. For a glossy finish, stir in a spoonful of butter at the end.

YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

1. Fill a jug to 150ml with plain flour.

2. Add two eggs and stir to combine. Add milk to reach 300ml mark. Add salt and pepper and stir.

3. Put sunflower oil in the holes of a 12-hole muffin tray ( enough to cover the bottom of the hole)

4. Heat the tray in the oven for 5 minutes.

5. Take the tray out and quickly pour the batter into the holes. Cook for around 20 minutes.

ROASTED BROCCOLI

1. Simply drizzle over a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a dish for 15 minutes.

TIMING GUIDE

To eat at 6pm, follow this basic guide to ensure everything is cooked on time.

4pm: Put the beef in the oven ( based on a 1.3kg this will take 1.25 hours = 5.15pm. Use the remaining time to rest the beef )

4:10pm: Make the Yorkshire pudding batter

4:15pm: Make the dauphinois

4:30pm: Make the red wine gravy

4:40pm: Boil the potatoes

4:55pm: heat the oil in a tray for the potatoes

5pm: Put the potatoes in the oven

5:30pm: Put the dauphinois in the oven

5:40pm: Put the Yorkshire puddings in the oven

5:45: put the broccoli in the oven

5:50pm: carve the beef

6pm: everything should be ready!