Rare beef with mustard Yorkshires

Roast beef is always an impressive dish to bring to the table, make it extra special with Sara Buenfeld’s recipe

  • Prep:1 hrs
    Cook:2 hrs 25 mins
  • Serves 8
  • More effort

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 767
  • fat 41g
  • saturates 14g
  • carbs 41g
  • sugars 2g
  • fibre 3g
  • protein 60g
  • salt 0.75g

Ingredients

  • 4 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp lemon thyme leaf
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 4 anchovy
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2.7kg rib of beef (mine was a large 2-rib), French trimmed and at room temperature
  • 12-16 potatoes, peeled and halved, or quartered
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 175ml full-fat milk
  • 2 large egg and 1 large egg white
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 115g plain flour
  • goose fat (from a can) or sunflower oil

Tip

Don't like it rare?
The timing below is for rare beef, so add an extra 5-10 minutes per kilo if you like medium.Simple gravy
Once the meat and potatoes are out of the tin, pour off the oil, leaving behind the juices. Put the tin on the hob, then heat and stir with a glug of red wine to remove the sediment from the pan (don’t add too much or the gravy will be murky). Pour in 450ml beef stock and simmer to boil off the alcohol from the wine. Re-skim to remove excess oil, then strain into a gravy boat to serve.

Method

  1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Using a large pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, thyme, peppercorns, mustard, anchovies and olive oil to a paste. Rub the mixture all over the beef and put in a large roasting tin. Roast for 25 mins, then turn down the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Remove the pan from the oven, add the potatoes and toss in the fat, adding 4 tbsp sunflower oil. Return to the oven for another 90 mins for rare; 2 hrs for medium rare.

  2. Meanwhile, make the Yorkshires. Make the milk up to 225ml/8fl oz with water. Beat the eggs, egg white, mustard and milk together, then gradually add the flour and ¼ tsp salt – the batter should be the consistency of thin double cream. Pour into a jug. Take the meat out of the oven, cover and leave to rest, then turn the oven up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.

  3. Put 1 tbsp goose fat or oil in each of 8 large Yorkshire pudding tins and heat for 15 mins in the oven, with the potatoes on a lower shelf. Pour the batter into the tins, then cook for 15-20 mins, without opening the oven, until risen and golden. Serve with horseradish, gravy and your favourite veg.

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