Help with Beef!!!! Please!

daisychain80

Mornin Peeps,


I have a slight dilema, I'm a veggie OH is not so usually when we do Sunday Lunch he has a bit of chicken with it, however I have offered to cook a roast beef sunday lunch/tea for oh and 2 of our best friends.

I don't mind cooking it at all but not too sure how I make it turn out nice,moist and tasty(i have had 1 previous attempt and OH likened it to chewing cardboard )

I am planning on doing it for about half 4, I have a slow cooker if that helps but not sure if enough time and if so, do i cook it in stock????

Would be greatful for tips.

PS i think it is a topside 5kg...does that sound about right:rotfl:

Thank you in advance
Dx

suzybloo

5kg???? for 4? can you check the weight as that seems an awful lot. I would do for 4 normally about 1.5kg ( roughly 400g each raw weight). I did silverside (2kg)in my slow cooker last week, I put it in with onion, carrot, peppercorns, and turnip with some stock. Put it on at twelve on low and it was absolutely lovely by the back of 5. I turned it over half way. Sieved the stock and veg to get rid of the peppercorns and this gave a lovely thick gravy. Remember to let the meat settle for ten mins before trying to carve it. Good luck hope it works well.

sexki11en

Preheat the oven to gas 9 (245), dust the fatty, outside surface of the beef with flour (and dried mustard if you have any), sprinkle with pepper. Cook for 20 minutes at gas 9 (245) then lower to gas 5 (190) for:
15 minutes per lb (450g) for rare
Plus 15 extra minutes for medium rare
or 30 minutes extra for well done

Baste well during cooking and allow the meat ro 'rest' for around 30 minutes before carving. Covered loosely in foil it will hold the heat.

From Delia - and I swear i've never gone wrong with her guides on meat. Am doing a roast beef myself later - we have brisket (how Moneysaving!)

SK x

Debt_Free_Chick

Topside can be a bit tricky - it rather depends on what the meat is like.

Is it rolled, tied with string and with a good layer of fat on the outside? Can you see flecks of creamy white fat throughout the meat? If not, then you will need to add fat if you want to roast it, so smear it with beef dripping or butter. And roast it slowly at 150°C or gas mark 2. Whilst many of us are obsessed with "low fat" food, you must have some fat to roast meat otherwise it will be dry and tough. The fat melts during the roasting, basting the meat and ends up in the roasting pan anyway. It's not as if you actually eat it!

Otherwise, braise it - again slowly - with some stock or water & vegetables (onion, carrot, leek, celery, bayleaf, peppercorns).

To be on the safe side, I'd braise it unless you know you have an excellent cut of mature topside, with plenty of marbling (fat running through the meat).

Debt_Free_Chick

sexki11en wrote: »

From Delia - and I swear i've never gone wrong with her guides on meat. Am doing a roast beef myself later - we have brisket (how Moneysaving!)

I'm a huge Delia fan but just curious .... does she suggest those timings & temps for topside & brisket?

Juliepink26

What ever you do dont over cook it, then you will end up with dry roppy beef. I usually rib eye, really big chunk, seal the outside on high heat in the frying pan season well, fininsh in the oven for aroun 30 minuites, but depends on the size. LEAVE TO REST!!Cut lenght ways, tatses amazing every time, with yummy gravy, roast poatoes and yorkshire pudding, Cook them while the meat in resting..

daisychain80

thank you all for the tips so far, I'm reading your suggestions to OH and after every one he replies "oooohhh that sounds delish....do it like that".....to EVERYONE lol, this is gonna take a while.
Still have not made a decision on the beef , however will start prepping veg soon(this I am confident with)
I plan to do my honey roast parsnips , swede and carrot mashed , peas, crispy roast pots and mash and leeks.
I am determind to make my own gravy but have a bit of Bisto incase it goes belly up.

I will keep checking this for tips today, however my OH is soon going to be expecting one every week at this rate lol.

Thank you.
Dx