A rib of beef is an excellent cut for roasting and perfect when you’ve got to feed a crowd. Always allow a joint to come back up to temperature before roasting to achieve the best flavour. The
key to its success is to start with a fantastic piece of beef that has been hung for 21 days to improve the flavour and texture.
SERVES 6–8
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp strong English mustard
2 tsp sea salt
1.5kg (3¼lb) Dunnes Stores Simply Better rib
of beef on the bone, at room
temperature
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
with root left intact
2 large carrots, halved lengthways
1 garlic bulb, halved (not peeled)
small handful of soft thyme sprigs
2 tsp plain flour
400ml (14fl oz) beef or chicken stock
horseradish cream,to serve
FOR THE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS:
3 eggs
100g (4oz) plain flour
250ml (9fl oz) milk
pinch of sea salt
rapeseed oil, for cooking
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F/gas mark 8).
2. Heat a small frying pan and toast the peppercorns until aromatic, then place in a pestle and mortar and grind until cracked. Place in a bowl, then mix in the mustard and salt. Wipe the meat with damp kitchen paper and rub all over with the mustard mixture.
3. Pour the oil into a roasting tin and add the onions, carrots, garlic and thyme, tossing to coat. Season to taste, then push to the edges and sit the beef in the middle of the vegetables.
Roast for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6) and roast for 10 minutes per 450g (1lb) for rare, 12 minutes for medium-rare and 20–25 minutes for well done. A joint this size will take just under 1 hour to cook. Take out and baste halfway through the cooking.
4. Meanwhile, make the Yorkshire pudding batter. Whisk the eggs, flour, milk and salt together in a bowl until well combined. Pour the batter into a Pyrex jug and let it rest for 30 minutes before you use it – this will help to make it smoother, giving you fantastic light and crispy puddings.
5. When the beef is cooked to your liking, remove it from the tin along with the onions and carrots and place on a platter. Cover with tin foil and leave to rest for 30 minutes before carving.
6. Now it’s time to cook the Yorkshire puddings. Increase the oven temperature to its highest setting and put a muffin tin in a baking tin on the top shelf. When the oven is up to
temperature, carefully remove the tins, close the oven door and add a tablespoon of oil to each hole in the muffin tin. Pop the tins back in the oven for a couple of minutes, until the oil is smoking hot. Open the oven door and slide the shelf with the tins halfway out. Quickly fill each muffin hole with batter, then carefully slide the shelf back into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes without opening the oven door, until the Yorkshire puddings are crisp and golden with a soft, fluffy centre.
7. Meanwhile, quickly make the gravy. Pour the juices from the roasting tin into a jug, discarding the garlic and thyme, and leave the fat to settle on top, then skim off the fat and discard.
Reserve the juices. Stir the flour into the roasting tin, scraping the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to remove any residue, then gradually stir in the stock and reserved juices. Place directly on the hob and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy boat.
8. To serve, carve the rested beef into slices and arrange on warmed plates with a dollop of horseradish cream. Add the roasted onions, carrots and Yorkshire puddings. Hand round
the gravy separately.