The perfect Sunday roast beef

To achieve the perfect Sunday roast with a Wye Organic beef joint, the secret lies in two things: bringing the meat to room temperature before cooking and allowing it a long, slow rest afterward. This ensures the pasture-fed beef stays succulent and tender.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg Beef roasting joint: (Topside, Sirloin, or Rib)
• 2 carrots (halved)
• 1 onion (quartered)
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp cracked black pepper.
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• For the Gravy: 1 tbsp plain flour, 1 glass red wine, 400ml beef stock.

Method

1. Remove the beef from the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking. Rub it with oil, salt, and pepper. This ensures the meat cooks evenly all the way through.
2. Preheat your oven to 220°C. Place the chopped carrots, onion, and celery in a roasting tin to act as a "trivet" (this prevents the bottom of the meat from burning and flavours the gravy).
3. Place the beef on top of the vegetables. Roast at the high heat for 20 minutes to get a beautiful brown crust.
4. Turn the oven down to 170°C. Continue roasting based on your weight and preference:
5. Rare: 11 mins per 450g (52° internal temp)
6. Medium-Rare: 13 mins per 450g (55° internal temp)
7. Medium: 15 mins per 450g (60° internal temp)
8. Remove the beef from the tin, place it on a warm plate, and cover loosely with foil. Rest for at least 30 minutes. The muscle fibers will relax, and the juices will redistribute.
9. For the gravy: Place the roasting tin (with the veg and meat juices) on the hob over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a paste, pour in the wine to deglaze, then slowly add the stock. Simmer until thickened, then strain into a jug.

Note

Using the vegetables as a "trivet" keeps the meat lifted so hot air can circulate underneath. Because Wye Organic beef is pasture-fed, it has a more complex fat profile—the long rest at the end is what makes that fat melt into the meat for a "butter-soft" finish.
Serve the beef with some roast potatoes, Maple-Roasted Roots, Creamy Leeks, and of course a few Yorkshire Puddings!