Serves 8-10
Ingredients
Beef:
3kg rib of Hunts premium beef
4–5 tbsp dijon mustard
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Crispy Roast Potatoes:
2.5kg red-skinned potatoes, peeled and halved
4 tbsp beef dripping or olive oil
Sea salt
Cabbage:
1 large green cabbages, sliced
50g salted butter
2 tsp crushed pink peppercorns
Pinch of salt
Gravy:
1 tbsp beef dripping or olive oil
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 tbsp plain flour (or rice flour for GF)
250ml red wine
750ml beef stock
Juices from the rested beef
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp butter
Method:
1. Remove the beef from the fridge 1–2 hours before cooking and season heavily with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, then spread over the mustard, avoiding the top layer of fat to prevent burning. Leave covered to come to room temperature.
2 Heat the oven to 240°C / 220°C fan / Gas 9. Place the beef in a large roasting tin, fat-side down. Roast at the high temperature for 20 minutes to let the fat begin to render out and develop a nice golden crust. After 20 minutes, carefully pour or spoon out the rendered beef fat into a container and set aside to cook the potatoes in. Reduce the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4, pour in 500ml water and cook for a further 1 hour 35 mins for a medium-rare finish. Cover with foil if the edges start to look too dark.
3. 25 minutes before taking the beef out of the oven, par-boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, then drain and ‘rough up’ by shaking them a little in the colander. Pour the reserved beef fat into a large roasting tray with a sprig of rosemary and heat in the oven for a few minutes until sizzling hot. Carefully add the potatoes, turning to coat in the fat, then roast for 50–60 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden and crisp.
4. Once the beef has had its time (or reads 52º-54º in the centre on a meat thermometer), remove from the oven and carefully pour out the liquid into a jug for the gravy base. Cover the beef with foil (if it’s not already) and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes before carving– don’t be tempted to skip this step to ensure the juiciest results.
5. Make a gravy whilst the beef rests. Skim beef fat from the top of the beef tray liquid and heat in a large frying pan- if there isn’t enough use a dash of oil. Fry the shallot until soft, stirring often. Stir in 1 tbsp plain flour and cook for 1 minute, then pour in 250ml red wine, scraping up all the caramelised bits from the pan and simmer for 4–5 minutes. Some of the water from the tray will have evaporated, so measure in a jug, then top up with beef stock to get 750ml in total then add to the pan, then simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened. Strain if desired, then whisk in 1 tbsp butter before serving for a rich, glossy gravy.
6. When everything is ready, cook the sliced cabbage in salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Drain then add back to the pan and stir through the butter, crushed pink peppercorns and a pinch of flaky salt.
7. Carve the rested beef into thin slices and serve with the crispy roast potatoes and buttery pink peppercorn cabbage with gravy and a pot of whole grain mustard on the side.
