Mastering the art of cooking beef to perfection can be a significant challenge, as there is a fine line between underdone and overdone. Recently, acclaimed British chef and restaurateur Angela Hartnett shared her roast beef recipe that delivers both a succulent, tender middle and impressive depth of flavour.
Key Preparation Technique for Optimal Flavour
During a recent episode of the Dish from Waitrose podcast, Angela Hartnett prepared a roast beef feast for actress Jennifer Garner. Her preferred cut is wing of beef, which comes from the upper portion of a sirloin. To guarantee the beef bursts with flavour, the chef suggests preparing it the evening before cooking.
This preparation requires just minutes of your time, and once completed, you can forget about it until cooking time arrives the following day. Angela's golden rule when preparing beef is proper seasoning. Simply season the beef joint with ground pepper and salt alongside a drizzle of olive oil.
Room Temperature Cooking for Uniform Results
When you are ready to start cooking, Angela advises removing the beef from the fridge thirty minutes beforehand. This allows the meat to reach room temperature. Bringing the beef up to room temperature ensures more uniform cooking throughout, which proves particularly vital when dealing with a substantial piece of meat.
This technique also helps the beef develop that gorgeous golden-brown crust during cooking. A warmer, drier exterior caramelises more rapidly as it does not instantly chill the pan, whilst a cooler interior minimises the chance of charring the outside before the middle reaches perfection.
Complete Roast Beef Recipe with Hasselback Potatoes
As the beef sizzled away during the demonstration, Angela exclaimed: "Ooh, wow, that's looking beautiful." Here is your fool-proof method for ensuring roast beef turns out perfectly cooked and succulent without fail.
Ingredients (Serves Six)
- 1.6kg 2-rib No.1 Dry Aged Aberdeen Angus Beef Wing Rib
- One tbsp olive oil
- 1.5kg red potatoes
- 50g unsalted butter, cubed
For the Chimichurri
- One green chilli, finely chopped
- Two cloves garlic, crushed
- One echalion shallot, finely chopped
- One tsp dried oregano
- 25g pack flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
- Two tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- One tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp sea salt flakes
Method
- Make a note of your beef joint's weight (you will need this for calculating cooking time later). For optimal results, up to 24 hours before roasting, season the beef liberally, massage all over with the oil, then pop the joint back in the fridge, loosely wrapped.
- Remove the beef from the fridge 30 minutes prior to roasting. Heat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7.
- Place the joint in a substantial roasting tin and roast for 20 minutes, until nicely browned and bubbling away.
- In the meantime, tackle the potatoes: nestle a potato in a large serving or wooden spoon, then use a sharp knife to slice widthways at 3mm intervals. Cut downwards until the blade meets the spoon (this clever trick lets you make deep cuts without slicing completely through). Repeat this process with the rest of the potatoes.
- Once 20 minutes have elapsed, lower the oven temperature to 180°C, gas mark 4. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and baste the beef.
- Place the potatoes in the tin and gently turn them to cover in the melted fat, then position with the cuts facing upwards. Add the cubed butter on top and season well.
- Put back in the oven and work out the remaining cooking duration based on the joint's original weight: cook for 15-20 minutes per 500g for medium-rare (55°C) or 20-25 minutes per 500g for medium (60°C).
- If you have got a cook's thermometer, use it. Give both the joint and the potatoes a baste occasionally whilst they are cooking.
- In the meantime, mix all the chimichurri ingredients together in a bowl. Add one tbsp water and leave to one side so the flavours can develop.
- When the beef joint reaches your preferred doneness, move it to a board, cover lightly with foil and allow to rest. At the same time, turn up the oven temperature to 220°C, gas mark 7.
- Give the potatoes another baste, then pop them back in the oven for five to 10 minutes until they are nice and crispy. Slice the beef and serve alongside the hasselback potatoes, with the chimichurri drizzled over and some steamed greens on the side, if you fancy.
Next time you are preparing roast beef, this method ensures tender, juicy results with professional-level flavour. Angela Hartnett's technique demonstrates how simple preparation steps can transform your home cooking into restaurant-quality dishes.
