Beef roasting joint

There is a variety of different Beef Roasting joint. aitchbone is a hindquarter cut found to the outside of the animal’s leg. It sits on top of the topside and top rump and shares some characteristics with those joints. The top side of the beef cut comes from the inner muscle of the thigh. This muscle is quite tender and very lean so it makes an excellent roasting joint. Silverside is best pot-roasted or roasted in the oven with some liquid in the roasting tray so that steam is created to keep the joint moist. The Top rump is found between the topside and the silverside and includes part of the rump cap. Don’t forget to rest your joint for at least 20 minutes before serving all joints.

Cooking Idea

Ingredients
2kg topside of beef (buy one with a layer of natural fat on the top)
1 tbsp vegetable oil or sunflower oil
A tbsp English mustard powder
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
2 large carrots, halved lengthways
12 banana shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
1 bay leaves
2 tbsp plain flour
300ml full-bodied red wine ( I used a Shiraz blend)
500ml fresh beef stock
2 tsp redcurrant jelly

Method

STEP 1
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.

STEP 2
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).

STEP 3
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.

STEP 4
When the Beef Roasting joint is ready, transfer it to a board, cover it loosely with foil and leave it 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.

STEP 5
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 of 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 gravy and shallots.