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My Silverside Beef roast Experiment

Yesterday I bought from Sainsburys a 2kg huge slab of beef that was labelled "Lean Roasting Joint Beef - Silverside" and was half price. It has a thin layer of fat on top and the meat looked really nice so I thought Id make a nice roast for sunday lunch and make some fresh yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes and all the other good stuff. I have never actually roasted beef myself (mainly due to high prices) but I have roasted pork and lamb with good success.

when I got home I looked online for some ideas on how to roast it, but most sites say to pot roast or slow cook it and that treating silverside like a normal roast just wont produce the right results. This put me in dismay as i didnt want to make a stew or casserole. So this morning, I thought Id do a little test to see what the best way would be to cook my huge piece of beef and i also think this experiment will be good info for many others that isnt sure about whether to roast silverside or not.

As it is very large, I cut it into half and put half in the fridge to cook the main meal with later. The other half I cut into half again so I had 2 smaller pieces. I seared both these chunks in a hot pan. The first piece I put into a dish on top of potatoes, onions and carrots with enough stock to cover most of the beef. i covered it and put into the oven at 180 degrees. The next piece, I put into a dish on its own and poked the meat with a sharp knife several times to fully pierce it through so the knife come out the other side. I put this into the oven as well at the same time and covered lightly with a piece of foil. I seasoned both with plenty of salt and pepper.

After 50 minutes, I checked both pieces. The one with the stock and veg, I sliced a bit of the beef and i chewed it forever. I couldnt even swallow it. So I put this back in the oven. Then I took out the dry roast piece and took a little slice off. It looked actually nice and a little pink in the middle and was really nice and tender in my mouth, delicious.

This is where I am at right now with my experiment. The dry roast piece I have left to the side to rest and I will test it again in about ten mins time. The veg pot roast I will test again in another 45 mins or so. At the moment it looks like I will be dry roasting the main piece later for the actual meal, which I am very delighted so far with the results as according to many people, it just shouldnt work. so I will keep updating my results as I go.

Ok, so I have let the test piece rest and cut a slice from the middle of the meat and still tastes really nice, if not better and just as good as any roast beef ive ever eaten. I still have to test the pot roast and now I just need to work out how long to roast the main piece for so that its still pink and rare in the middle.

Also as part of this test, Ive sliced off a few thin steak slices from the main piece (which I wont be cooking today). With these I will batter them with a rolling pin and flash pan fry them (results will be updated when i cook them).

The main piece which at a guess is about 1.2kg, I will sear then poke with a knife several times and roast at 180 degrees for 60 - 70 mins.
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Comments

  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I've used silverside for a normal roast before with adequate results, I just make sure I don't cook it for too long and wrap it in foil to rest for half an hour before slicing, once it's got gravy on it's quite good.

    I've got one of the Sainsbury's half price topside joints today, I did have to dig through all the silverside to find one, but they do roast better.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • JenLeung
    JenLeung Posts: 11 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary Combo Breaker
    ok, the veg pot roast has been in the oven for almost 3 hours and actually tastes really nice. but my verdict for the winner is still going to be the dry roast as i like the meat pink in the middle and it didnt take that much time and frankly, i found the meat more pleasurable.
    its strange that the two tests from the same cut of beef has produced two very different results. both nice, but definately the dry roast for me. the pot roast wont go to waste as its produced a nice gravy which i will use up for the main meal.
  • JenLeung
    JenLeung Posts: 11 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary Combo Breaker
    @peachyprice... im going to be cooking the main meal anytime now, how long would you suggest from your experience as You said "as long as you dont cook it for too long" ... so how long do you think i should cook it for? i guess i have about 1.2kg to roast.
  • peachyprice
    peachyprice Posts: 22,346 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I put mine in at 190c for 15mins per 500g plus 15 mins, I've just this minute taken my piece out, it's 1kg and was in for 45 mins, I've wrapped it in foil and will leave it wrapped until it's time to slice, probably another 45 mins by the time the potatoes are finished. I would do 1.2kg for 55 mins.
    Accept your past without regret, handle your present with confidence and face your future without fear
  • JenLeung
    JenLeung Posts: 11 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary Combo Breaker
    i thought about an hour would be enough. Thanks v much, got it in now
  • JenLeung
    JenLeung Posts: 11 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary Combo Breaker
    UPDATE TO MY SILVERSIDE EXPERIMENT

    I ended up roasting my joint for 1hr10min and set aside to rest for over 30mins. When it came to slicing it, just inside the outer layer was still full of blood! So I put it back into the oven at 200C for another 45 mins. i think my problem was that it was bigger than the 1.2kg I originally thought and was more like 1.7kg!

    Anyway, i rested it again for 20mins (by which time we had already dug into all the yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes!!) and sliced off several slices- we was almost full at this point from the yorkshires and the beef was nicely pink but just a little tougher than I hoped.

    So we decided to have the beef the following day. I took it out of the fridge and sliced a test piece off and it was the most perfect beef and so tender! So I sliced it all off and placed them into a dish with gravy and covered with foil, then into the oven to just warm it up slightly for 15min.
    This was the most amazing beef and we thoroughly enjoyed it! After my slight disapointment night before, this was a total success!

    So in the future, I will be roasting it on a higher temp and for slightly longer (depending on after a logical estimate on the weight!) and to have half the next day warmed up in gravy juices.
  • JenLeung wrote: »
    UPDATE TO MY SILVERSIDE EXPERIMENT

    I ended up roasting my joint for 1hr10min and set aside to rest for over 30mins. When it came to slicing it, just inside the outer layer was still full of blood! So I put it back into the oven at 200C for another 45 mins. i think my problem was that it was bigger than the 1.2kg I originally thought and was more like 1.7kg!

    Anyway, i rested it again for 20mins (by which time we had already dug into all the yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes!!) and sliced off several slices- we was almost full at this point from the yorkshires and the beef was nicely pink but just a little tougher than I hoped.

    So we decided to have the beef the following day. I took it out of the fridge and sliced a test piece off and it was the most perfect beef and so tender! So I sliced it all off and placed them into a dish with gravy and covered with foil, then into the oven to just warm it up slightly for 15min.
    This was the most amazing beef and we thoroughly enjoyed it! After my slight disapointment night before, this was a total success!

    So in the future, I will be roasting it on a higher temp and for slightly longer (depending on after a logical estimate on the weight!) and to have half the next day warmed up in gravy juices.

    We love sliced beef cooked in gravy! Even beef that's a bit tough comes out lovely when you cook it in gravy. Melts in the mouth. Not had it for a while, but you've inspired me to do beef this weekend!
  • AngelsMadv
    AngelsMadv Posts: 2,668 Forumite
    Mayhap you could do a Taguchi analysis of the best way to cook a particular cut of beef. I've done it most ways but my preferable one, even with very expensive cuts, is to roast it on a bed of veg and stock for several hours and leave to rest for 1 hour.

    This beef is even better the next day when warmed up in the gravy you made from what was left.
    I am firmly across the line. I won't impose my values on you if you keep away from mine.
    Updated 14/10/14 :A
  • parkgirl
    parkgirl Posts: 164 Forumite
    I would normally seal the meat before putting it on the bed of veg as I was taught by my mother that if you didn't you end up with great gravy and meat that tastes of nothing.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 17,413 Forumite
    10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped!
    when ever I have cooked silverside I have always sliced some up and frozen them in foil to be used at a later date Its great for beef sandwiches or just cooked gently in a foil tray with gravy
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