← Nouns Cooking · British & Irish

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg beef topside, top rump or sirloin joint, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 2 Onion, thickly sliced
• 2 Carrot, halved lengthways
• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 500 ml hot beef stock
• 100 ml Red wine (optional)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Take the beef out of the fridge an hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan, 450°F). Rub the joint with the oil, mustard powder and plenty of salt and pepper.
2. Scatter the onions, carrots and herbs in a roasting tin and sit the beef on top. Roast for 20 min to brown the outside.
3. Turn the oven down to 160°C (140°C fan, 325°F) and keep roasting: about 12 min per 500 g for rare, 15 min for medium and 20 min for well done. A probe in the thickest part should read 50°C (122°F) for rare or 60°C (140°F) for medium.
4. Lift the beef onto a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 min. The juices settle and the meat carves far more neatly.
5. For the gravy, spoon off most of the fat from the tin, leaving the vegetables. Set the tin over medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, mashing the vegetables a little.
6. Pour in the wine, if using, and bubble for 1 minute, scraping up the sticky bits. Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 5 min until thickened, then strain into a jug with any juices from the resting beef.
7. Carve the beef thinly across the grain and serve with the gravy, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings.

Tips

• Weigh the joint before it goes in and write down your timings: it is the simplest way to get the doneness you want.
• The gravy flour contains gluten; thicken with 2 tsp cornflour mixed with water instead for a gluten-free version, and skip the Worcestershire sauce (anchovy).

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Food Jamie Oliver BBC Good Food