Welcome to the third and final part of our Great British Beef Week. Hopefully, you’ve all been tucking into some delicious British beef, bearing the Red Tractor logo.
So far, we have talked about the nutritional benefits of beef, and what you should look for when buying it at your local supermarket. Today, we’ll be bringing you some tips for cooking that wonderful-looking roast that you’ve just bought.
Courtesy of Ladies in Beef
If you’ve ever heard someone complain that their beef or steak was tough and dry, chances are it was cooked for too long. Know how to cook your cut in the proper manner and you’ll never have a tough dinner again.
But if you’re standard red meat repertoire is limited to burgers, a roast can seem a little intimidating. Jilly Greed, of Ladies in Beef, has the following advice:
I would suggest they try the new mini-roast and a very easy recipe with horse-radish and honey to make a melt in the mouth topping. You will find mini-roasts at your local butcher or on the shelf or fresh meat counter in a supermarket and they are affordable and delicious cuts of beef. Perfect for mid-week or romantic dining!
To ensure success in the kitchen:
- Bring your beef to room temperature before cooking.
- Keep it simple. It can be tempting to make elaborate sauces for your beef, but then you’re masking the natural flavours. Sometimes a simple sprinkling of salt and pepper plus a rubbing of oil is all you need for the perfect joint.
- If in doubt, the meat thermometer can be your friend. The following temperatures are recommended by Simply Beef and Lamb: Rare – 60°C, Medium – 70°C, Well Done – 80°C.
- Let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes after removing from the oven. This lets the fibers release some of their juices. Trust me, you’ll notice the difference in taste and texture of you can just stand to wait before diving in.
For more tips, don’t forget to download the handy shopping and cooking guide, A Shopper’s Guide to Buying British Beef.
Beef Mini Roast with Porcini and Chilli
Today’s recipe serves three, or two very hungry people who want seconds. It’s ready in under an hour and includes the spicy kick of chilli and the earthiness of porcini mushrooms.
1 x 400-450g/14oz-1lb lean mini roasting joint (we used a mini topside joint)
15ml/1tbsp caster sugar
10ml/2tsp salt
5ml/1tsp dried chilli flakes
Pinch black pepper
30ml/2tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
75ml/5tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
1 bunch green asparagus, shaved with a potato peeler
½ small cucumber, thinly sliced into ribbons
30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped flatleaf parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
75g/3oz baby spinach
30ml/2tbsp extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
Use a blender to grind the sugar, salt, chilli flakes, pepper, and dried mushrooms into a powder. In a small bowl, add the powder to the garlic and 5 tbsp oil. Stir to make a paste.
Preheat the oven to Gas mark 5, 190°C, 375°F.
Make several small cuts in the mini roast. Brush the paste over the meat, taking care to get some of the paste into the cuts. This allows the flavour to infuse through the meat as it cooks.
Transfer to a roasting rack in a medium nonstick roasting tin and roast for 40-50 minutes. If it starts to brown too quickly, cover with a piece of foil.
Remove the joint from the oven, transfer to a warm plate, cover and leave to rest for 5-10
minutes. If you can bear to wait for 20 minutes, all the better.
Mix the asparagus, cucumber, parsley, lemon zest, spinach, and remaining oil.
Slice the beef into strips, Toss with the salad, and serve.
This brings us to the end of our Great British Beef Week series. Hopefully you’ve got some great new ideas and are itching to get into the kitchen. There’s still plenty of time left to celebrate. Thanks to Ladies in Beef for sharing some great tips. For more recipes, be sure to check out Simply Beef and Lamb.