Festive Roast Beef
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook: 26 mins + resting time | Serves 12 | Great source of iron
A whole piece of beef always looks spectacular. This is a simple recipe that looks and tastes fabulous, and it could easily be cooked on the BBQ as well. Pair it with your favourite salads or summer vegetables.
And one of the key things to cooking meat is the resting process at the end, so remember to factor this into your timing. REST, REST, REST!
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg-piece beef fillet, sirloin or rump
- ½ small bunch fresh rosemary
- 60ml (¼ cup) light olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tspn light olive oil, extra
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Tie the beef with unwaxed white kitchen string to secure. Reserve three whole sprigs of rosemary. Coarsely chop 1 tbspn of the remaining rosemary. Combine the chopped rosemary, oil and garlic in a small bowl. Rub the rosemary mixture over the beef. Thread the reserved rosemary sprigs under the string on the beef. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the extra oil in a roasting pan over high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for six minutes or until it’s brown all over. Roast in the oven, basting regularly with pan juices for 15-20 minutes for medium-rare, or until cooked to how you prefer it.
Remove beef from baking pan and transfer to a plate. Cover with foil and set aside for 10-15 minutes to rest. Remove string and rosemary sprigs from the beef. Carve the beef across the grain into thick slices. Place on a serving plate and serve immediately with horseradish or your favourite gravy or sauce, and fresh seasonal vegetables.
Source: Beef + Lamb New Zealand, reproduced with permission
