First attempt at roasting beef

Smashing_Blouse

My dad is coming for dinner New Years Day and he is asking if he can have beef rather than chicken, as he needs to eat red meat due to his chemo.

What is the best cut to have as there seem to be so many? I will be roasting it.

Thanks in advance

Pink.

Hi Smashing Blouse,

There is a recent thread on this that should helpso I've added your thread to it to keep all the replies together...DFC's post is particularly helpful for choosing your cut of meat.

Pink

Smashing_Blouse

Excellent thanks

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

Last month we bought 2 large Top Rump beef oints reduced to £5 each from over £20:D ...I had never cooked such a big joint and decided to do in the SC and it was the most delish beef I have ever tasted.

Just sealed the beef in the frying pan, then put in the SC with some red wine and water with an onion and garlic chopped in half and cooked for 6 hours. We then wrapped in foil and took to my sisters the next day. It was still slightly pink in the middle but the ends were well done, so was perfect for everyone who had different tastes. There was tons left and let sister/mum have it for sarnies and another meal.

PP
xx

Pipkin

Ok, I think I've just bought the worst cut of beef in history judging from that great post about beef.

I had a bad experience with beef in the past (the cooking of it) and have only just plucked up the courage (after about 14 years!) to try again (because, bless him, him indoors asked me to).

So, I bought it, a topside of beef, bad thing is it has no fat on it for basting (says so on the label) - in my defence it is all there was (I don't live in the UK and roasting joints as we know them are very hard to come across unless you want to eat pork all the time) - so what will I do?

I want to make it as nice as I can (and I'd hoped to cook it the day before and serve next day) - what can I do to overcome the lack of fat? and how should I cook it?

I have a small slow cooker, just 3L, but it might fit in there if that would be the better option.

Please help me make the best of it! (or I'll avoid it for another 14 years!)

Thank you.

competitionscafe

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

Oh dear - I missed this yesterday and it's my favourite topic! It's also too late, but perhaps helpful for others in the future.

For roast beef the two most important factors are the provenance of the meat and the cut. The provenance is the meat's "CV" - what breed, how was it reared, for how long it's been hung.

Certain breeds do not create good, tender, roasting joints - Holstein Freisian being the most common and notable example. These are the males from this dairy breed of cattle, which would be useless to a dairy farmer, so they're fattened and sold on as "beef". There's nothing inherently wrong with this - indeed, it's good economic sense for the farmer, but the breed does not produce tender, tasty beef. And all too often, you are charged a "premium beef" price for an inferior product.

Aberdeen (Angus), Hereford, South Devon, Shorthorn, Sussex and a whole host of other breeds produce far better beef - with an increasing number of continental breeds like Limousin & Charolais now being reared in this Country. Whilst Aberdeen is very highly regarded - and rightly so - there are many other British breeds that produce beef of an equal quality so, again, don't pay over the top for Aberdeen.

A useful guide to cattle breeds here.

I would also choose beef that's been "traditionally" reared - largely grass fed, outdoors during the better months and allowed to mature naturally, not fattened quickly on a mainly cereal based diet.

Beef is tenderised by the hanging process - in my view, at least 21 days hanging is necessary. Moisture evaporates during the hanging process, leaving a beautiful dry piece of meat, not a bloody, slimy mess. This moisture evaporation also intensifies the flavour - and the bonus is that you're not paying for water which will simply evaporate when you roast the meat, resulting in a shrunken dried-out piece of leather.

Now for the cuts - the King of roasting joints would be a forerib or sirloin. You can buy it on the bone or boned & rolled, but it's worth getting it on the bone as the bones make an excellent stock.

Topside can be roasted, but it needs lower temperatures and slower cooking. Silverside is not a roasting joint and like brisket needs long, slow cooking.

A good joint will have flecks (marbling) of creamy fat through it. This doesn't produce greasy meat - far from it. The fat melts during cooking and bastes the meat, keeping it tender and moist. No fat? The finished product will be tough, even if you add dripping, as the dripping will only coat the outside and not the middle of the joint.

With the right cut from the right breed, give the joint a blast of fierce heat for 20 mins then reduce the heat to around 160°C and cook for 10, 15 or 20 mins per 500g for rare, medium or well done meat.

If you need the temperature high for yorkie or roast spuds, remember they will cook whilst the meat is resting. As already mentioned by others, resting is important to allow the juices to seep back into the meat, keeping it tender.

You're unlikely to get good enough quality beef from a supermarket, not least as they sell topside as "a roasting joint"! But, in addition, the breed isn't identified - probably because the "beef" is from a dairy breed! Also, it's not hung - hence the need to sit it on what can only be described as "a sanitary towel" in the bottom of a tray :eek:

Find a decent butcher and ask him about the meat before you buy. If you're not confident about asking specific questions, just ask him "what can you tell me about this beef and why is it so good?" (but probably not on a busy Saturday afternoon ). If he can't tell you, don't buy from him as he's probably not a butcher at all - just someone who buys in bulk from the food wholesaler :mad:

Last night we had a boned, rolled sirloin joint from a Sussex, which had been reared approximately 4 miles away. I've probably seen them in the field earlier in the summer. It was sent for slaughter less than 10 miles away. Reduced travel = reduced stress, which is kinder to the animal and stressed cattle tend to produce tough meat. It had been hung for 28 days and was a ruby/mahoghany colour when raw, not bright "blood" red.

Absolutely delicious

The BBC Food site has an excellent guide to beef, under "Cook's Guide".

Wow, great post DFC - very informative and helpful. Thanks! :beer:

angel81uk

lol Don't let the Holstein Freisian farmers hear you say that DFC! In all seriousness though you're right, it's not the best breed for roasting but how it's reared/how long it's hung for can really make all the difference.

I used to date the son of one of the countries best Holstein breeders and spent a lot of time on the farm. They used to keep a few of the male calves to rear for the freezer and I must say the meat was gorgeous. A million times better than anything I've ever bought from a supermarket, better than the butchers and still better than anything I've ever eaten in a restaurant. My current partner works for a PR company that represents a lot of top London restaurants which we get the chance to eat in so that's saying something!

A lot of dairy farmers do the same and sell the meat on a small scale to supplement their income. If you can find one who does this it's well worth buying form them in my opinion. They're often cheaper than the supermarkets too.

Psykicpup

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

Last night we had a boned, rolled sirloin joint from a Sussex, which had been reared approximately 4 miles away. I've probably seen them in the field earlier in the summer. It was sent for slaughter less than 10 miles away. Reduced travel = reduced stress, which is kinder to the animal and stressed cattle tend to produce tough meat. It had been hung for 28 days and was a ruby/mahoghany colour when raw, not bright "blood" red.

Absolutely delicious

The BBC Food site has an excellent guide to beef, under "Cook's Guide".

May I ask which Butcher you use DFC as I'm in Sussex too & would love to know where my meat lived too!

LJM

i love roast beef i normally cook either 1 large joint or 2 smaller ones,so we have the roast then i usually get a casserole and a curry out of it 2

Toonie

My mum and dad gave me a small piece of beef yesterday (about 580g) and I've not roasted beef before and wondered if anyone has any suggestions on how to cook it, how long to cook for etc. Its only to feed myself and my boyfriend, so no need to worry about it being small