Roast Topside Of Beef Food

ROAST BEEF WITH CARAMELISED ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Crush the peppercorns, mustard powder, thyme and celery seeds together with some salt, using a pestle and mortar. Stir in the oil, then rub it all over the beef. (If you have time, cover and chill the joint overnight to marinate. Bring the beef out of the fridge 1 hr before roasting.)
• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and sit the joint in a snug-ish roasting tin. Roast for 12 mins per 450g/1lb (about 55 mins for a 2kg/4lb 8oz joint) for medium-rare, or 15 mins per 450g/1lb (about 1 hr 10 mins) for medium-well.
• Remove from the oven, lift onto a platter, cover with foil and rest for 30 mins. If you're making the Yorkies (p90), increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• For the gravy, pour any juices from the roasting tin into a jug. Let the juices separate, then spoon 2 tbsp of the fat back into the tin - if there is no fat, use 2 tbsp butter instead. Discard any other fat. Sit the roasting tin on the hob and stir in the flour, stock cubes, onion chutney or marmalade and Marmite. Cook for 1 min, stirring well to scrape up any beefy bits stuck to the tin, then gradually stir in 750ml hot water from the kettle. Bubble to thicken to a nice consistency, then gently keep warm until ready to serve with the beef, carved into slices.

ROAST BEEF WITH RED WINE & BANANA SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Let the meat come to room temperature for 1 hr before you roast it. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dry the meat with kitchen paper, then rub the oil all over it. Mix the mustard powder with the sea salt and 1 tsp pepper, then rub this over the meat too. Lay the carrots in a large roasting tin to make a trivet and sit the beef on top, fat-side up.
• Roast for 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and roast for another 55 mins. This will give you medium beef; for medium-rare, cook for 45 mins. (When it's done, a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef should read 65C).
• With 30 mins cooking time left, baste the beef in the fat that has pooled in the tin, add the shallots and bay leaves, and coat these in the fat too. Season and return to the oven. Meanwhile, boil the wine in a small saucepan to reduce it by two-thirds.
• When the meat is ready, transfer to a board, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and return the tin to the oven for a further 10-15 mins until the shallots are tender.
• Scoop out the shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside to keep warm. Remove the excess fat from the tin and discard, leaving 1 tbsp fat and all the dark juices behind. Add the flour and cook on the hob for 2 mins, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the reduced wine, followed by the stock and redcurrant jelly, scraping up all the tasty bits from the bottom of the tin. Bubble until thickened and rich, add the juices from the resting meat, then season to taste. Discard the carrots. Serve the beef with the gravy and shallots.

SLOW COOKER BEEF TOPSIDE WITH RED WINE GRAVY

Steps:

• Crush the peppercorns with the mustard, rosemary, celery seeds and a little salt using a pestle and mortar. Blitz the mushrooms to a fine powder in a food processor, then stir them in with 2 tbsp oil and rub all over the beef. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr, but overnight is best.
• Heat the slow cooker to high and pour in the stock. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan and brown the beef, then put in the slow cooker skin-side up. Fry the carrot, onion and celery in the same pan over a medium-high heat for about 10 mins. Stir in the tomato purée and wine, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, then add this to the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 6 hrs, then strain the liquid into a pan. Keep the meat and veg covered with foil so they stay warm. Bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer until reduced by a third and season. For thicker gravy, mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp water and whisk into the boiling liquid. Serve the beef with the gravy, along with some mash and greens.

POT-ROAST BEEF WITH FRENCH ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Rub the meat with 1 tsp of the oil and plenty of seasoning. Heat a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the meat all over for about 10 mins. Meanwhile, add 2 tsp oil to a frying pan and fry the carrots and celery for 10 mins until turning golden.
• Lift the beef onto a plate, splash the wine into the hot casserole and boil for 2 mins. Pour in the stock, return the beef, then tuck in the carrots, celery and bay leaves, trying not to submerge the carrots too much. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hrs. (I like to turn the beef halfway through cooking.)
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and stir in the onions, thyme and some seasoning. Cover and cook gently for 20 mins until the onions are softened but not coloured. Remove the lid, turn up the heat, add the butter and sugar, then let the onions caramelise to a dark golden brown, stirring often. Remove the thyme sprigs, then set aside.
• When the beef is ready, it will be tender and easy to pull apart at the edges. Remove it from the casserole and snip off the strings. Reheat the onion pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Whisk the floury onions into the beefy juices in the casserole, to make a thick onion gravy. Taste for seasoning. Add the beef and carrots back to the casserole, or slice the beef and bring to the table on a platter, with the carrots to the side and the gravy spooned over.