Roast beef, grandma’s recipe, or rather the classic, foolproof recipe. A traditional dish typical of Anglo-Saxon cuisine like Beef Wellington, the roast beef “all’inglese” is the dish that usually presides over Sunday lunch (Sunday Roast) and can be accompanied by a wide variety of side dishes, above all potato dishes or sauces such as brown gravy. Today roast beef is no longer exclusively an English recipe but a preparation that has crossed international borders, and here it becomes a star at holiday meals like Christmas and Easter, just like the 10 favorite Christmas main courses I love most. Despite the seemingly imposing name, roast beef is really an easy recipe for everyone, especially if you have a good kitchen thermometer that ensures perfect doneness. A perfect dish for a family lunch or when you have important guests, and if you have a few slices left over, they can become a prized filling for a gourmet sandwich. Let’s head to the kitchen now — the roast beef is a tasty, simple and refined main course that will win everyone over. If you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Expensive
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the roast beef
- 2.2 lb beef sirloin
- to taste salt
- 3.5 tbsp white wine
- rosemary (2 sprigs)
- leaves bay leaves
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 3.5 tbsp butter
- to taste salt
- 1.8 lb new potatoes, cooked, boiled (medium size (about 8 medium potatoes))
Tools
- Frying pan
- Rack
- Oven
- Parchment paper
- Thermometer
- Kitchen twine
Preparation
To make the classic roast beef, start by trimming the meat of the toughest parts and excess fat; not all of it should be removed because it keeps the meat more tender and juicy, just a small portion. Now tie the piece of meat so that it doesn’t deform during cooking. Pour two or three tablespoons of oil into a heavy-bottomed frying pan and sear the meat over very high heat, letting it brown on all sides and turning it often (it will make quite a mess in the kitchen, but it’s a sacrifice worth making). When the meat has taken color, deglaze with the wine and let it evaporate completely, then turn off the heat and set it aside, keeping the fond (cooking juices) for later.
Place the rosemary and bay leaves on a rack, then set the rack on a baking tray or sheet lined with parchment paper (this way the meat’s cooking juices won’t burn the tray or, if they do, they won’t make too big a mess). Place the piece of meat on top, insert a wired probe/probe with cable (these probes with a long wire allow you to monitor the cooking without opening the oven repeatedly and prevent continuous skewering of the meat since the temperature sensor stays outside the oven), and roast in a preheated oven at 428°F on the middle rack for 15 minutes.
After that time, lower the oven temperature to 356°F and roast for another 10–12 minutes. During the entire cooking time, turn the meat gently, avoiding puncturing it. When the roast is done, the internal temperature should be between 118–131°F depending on whether you prefer the roast rarer or more pink. I chose a pink doneness at 131°F, as my family doesn’t like very rare meat. Lightly salt the meat and wrap it well in parchment paper or aluminum foil, letting it rest for 10 minutes so the juices redistribute internally.
Now prepare the side dish: you’ll need boiled potatoes. If you don’t know how to cook them, just immerse them in water and boil for 30–35 minutes or until a skewer goes through them easily. Take back the pan fond from when you seared the meat. Melt the butter in that same fond and add a sprig of rosemary. Halve the potatoes, preferably leaving the skin on, and place them cut-side down directly in the butter. Sear over high heat until nicely browned. Salt and serve alongside the roast beef, thinly sliced.
Thick-sliced roast beef can be served hot, but if you want to prepare it in advance it’s best to slice it, once cold, into very thin slices.
Storage and tips
English-style roast beef keeps in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days at most and should not be frozen.
If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer (which I recommend buying to avoid mistakes), you can gauge the roast’s doneness with a very long needle. Insert it into the meat making sure to reach the center; once removed, place the needle under your lower lip — it should feel warmer than your own temperature but not so hot that it burns. Please: avoid puncturing the meat multiple times!
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