Mind-Blowing Roast Beef

Prep time: 30mins | Cook time: Check your individual joint for cook times
Ingredients
  • Beef joint
  • Tsp of brown sugar
  • Vegetables for trivet (we recommend onion, carrots and garlic bulbs)
Method
  1. Remove the joint from the fridge for 30 minutes prior to cooking to let it warm to room temperature
  2. Check the cooking instructions on your joint – depending on how well done you want your meat will influence the cooking time
  3. TOBY TIP: When roasting a joint, sit it on chopped veg (we call this a vegetable trivet). Add a little bit of water, to help keep the meat moist and juicy, and you'll have the makings of a really good stock
  4. When seasoning beef, try adding a bit of brown sugar. It'll enhance the flavour and turn your meat golden-brown.
  5. When the joint is cooked, leave to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving
  6. We suggest serving your beef with wholegrain mustard – you could even add it to your gravy

A few words on carving

After cooking, make sure you let your joint or poultry stand for at least 20 minutes, so the meat 'relaxes' and the juices flow through the joint. You'd be surprised how many people attack their roast as soon as it comes out of the oven, and then wonder why it's dry and chewy.

If you're thinking of using an electric knife, here's my advice: please don't.

Ideally, you need a long, sharp knife. A serrated blade works quite well if you'd rather not be sharpening all the time.

Here's the proper way to sharpen a carving knife. First, don't sharpen both sides or you'll probably blunt it. The trick is, if you're right-handed, sharpen the right-hand side; and vice versa if you're left-handed.

Use the entire length of the knife to carve, cutting against the grain to slice up the meat fibres.

If you use a fork to hold the meat in place, press lightly. If you stick the fork hard into the joint, everything will collapse and you'll squeeze those sumptuous juices out. Ideally, you should only use a fork to move the sliced meat.

HOW TO CARVE BETTER BEEF
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Cooking times will vary according to your equipment specification and timings are given for guidance. We use a fan assisted oven for our recipes. Please follow instructions given on product packaging for best cooking instructions as these recipes are for guidance only. (V) indicates vegetarian recipe, (Ve) indicates vegan recipe. Double check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies, intolerances or food preferences.