Roast Beef Dinner

31/08/2012 08:44

ROAST BEEF WITH A PEPPERCORN CRUST
Serves 8-10
Preparation time ~ 5 minutes


COOKING GUIDE TIMES
 
Rare: 20 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 20 minutes
Medium: 25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 25 minutes
Well done: 30 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 30 minutes



INGREDIENTS

2.7kg / 6lb : Rib of Beef - or can use, Boneless rib, Sirloin, or Topside Joint.
6 tbsp Olive Oil
4-5 tbsp green or Black peppercorns, lightly crushed
Sea salt


TO PREPARE

Preheat the oven Gas mark 4/180C/350F

Rub the beef all over with olive oil and place into a roasting tin. Add the crushed peppercorns, pressing well into the beef and coating all sides to make a crust. Sprinkle with the sea salt and pop into the oven to roast for your preferred calculated cooking time. When cooked remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave the meat to rest for 15- 20 minutes before carving.


Tip ~ Instead of using the Peppercorns, you can also rub the beef all over with a mix of horseradish and mustard before cooking.

Tip ~ for the perfect roast ~ let the beef come to room temperature before cooking - the meat will be more tender if cooked slowly at a moderate oven than rapidly in a hot oven. Once the beef is cooked, leave beef 'rest' for 15-20 minutes before carving. This allows the meat juices to redistribute and the fibres to relax. Making the meat both easier to carve as well as being more succulent.


FOR GRAVY

2 tbsp Plain flour
150ml glass red wine
150ml beef/ vegetable stock

Spoon off any excess fat from the beef roasting tin and discard. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Stirring well with a small whisk or spoon add a little stock and stir again, scraping the base of the pan to release any rich, beefy sediment. Next stir in the wine and bubble for 1 minute, then add the rest of the stock, stirring, simmer gently.



CRISPY ROASTIES
~ Serves 4-6
*Floury potatoes work best

Heat the oven to 200C, Put 1kg of POTATOES that have been peeled and cut into chunks into a pan, cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins or until almost cooked, then drain and allow to dry out, Shake well to "roughen up" the potatoes for extra crunchy outsides. Pour 6 tbsps of SUNFLOWER OIL into a large roasting tin and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes until very hot, remove from oven and spoon in the potatoes, coating in the oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast the potatoes in oven for 40-50 minutes turning a couple of times until they're golden and crispy.

 

YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS
 Makes 12

12 hole pudding tin
125g plain flour
pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
300ml milk
sunflower oil

Preheat the oven 200C/400F/ MARK 6
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a hole in the centre, then pour the eggs in. using a wooden spoon, gradually beat the eggs to incorporate the flour. Once the batter becomes to dry to absorb any more flour, start adding the milk. To insure there are no lumps, add the milk gradually, beating it in well after each addition. until smooth. Leave the batter to rest in the fridge for at least half an hour or even overnight. The batter consistency should be like that of single cream. If it appears thicker, just add a splash more milk.

Pour 1 tbsp of oil into each tin and heat in the oven for 10mins until really hot. Use a ladle to almost fill the tins with batter. Bake for 15 mins until golden and puffy, then sprinkle with salt and serve.


TIPS

* Ensure that there's plenty of space between the shelves in the oven so that the puds have room to rise.

* Resting the batter is crucial. This lets the starch in the flour swell so it bursts when it hits the hot oil, giving a really light texture.

* Preheat the oil until really hot so the puds won't be greasy and they really puff up.

* Also Remember - Never disturb the puds whilst they are cooking, if cooking a roast, ensure the meat is ready before the puds go in and the potatoes won't burn! For perfect timing, take everything out the oven, turn up the heat and cook the puds while the meat rests. Never open the oven door to peek either or you will see your puds slowly deflate! Little Pud tins are ideal as they only take 15 minutes to cook. If you are making a large pud, you'll need to allow about 30-40 minutes in the oven.

 


CARAMELISED CARROTS
Sweet and full of flavour

Serves 8

550g carrots, scrubbed or peeled, halved lengthways then cut horizontally
1-2 tbsp demerara ( brown) sugar
Knob of butter

In a saucepan of boiling water, add the carrots and cook till they still have bite to them.Drain well.
In a large frying pan, add the butter & sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, throw the carrots in and toss really well, so that they all get coated . Cook until lightly caramelised. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.




BUTTERY CABBAGE 

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry 2tsp caraway seeds. Add 1 small savoy cabbage, shredded, along with 2 tbsp water. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further minute. Add 40g butter to the pan and season to taste with sea salt & plenty of black pepper.

 

HORSERADISH SAUCE
For a quick Horseradish sauce - just whip up a little grated horseradish with some plain yogurt or crème fraîche, add a little mustard, pinch of sugar and seasoning.


 DESSERT
Spiced Apple Puds