Name: Roast beef
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.5 kilogram piece scotch fillet, at room temperature, trussed; 2 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 cup water; roasted vegetables, yorkshire puddings, gravy, beans, to serve

It’s no secret that Aussies love succulent roast beef, and for good reason. Great for a Sunday roast but also suitable for any day of the week and makes the perfect leftovers the next day.

When it comes to family dinners, not many dishes can measure up to a good roast. They’re easy to cook when you know how. They’re hearty, filling, and a crowd-pleaser. They can be really budget-friendly depending on the cut of meat you choose. And most importantly, they allow you to eat as many potatoes as you can under the guise of ‘family time’!

For all the trimmings serve with roasted vegetables, yorkshire puddings, gravy and beans.

How to get the best out of your roast

1. Invest in the perfect dish

Buy a heavy, flameproof baking dish, as it will give the best colour and flavour to the pan juices – important for a good gravy. Flameproof means it can go on the stovetop and under the grill as well as in the oven.

Shop baking dishes at Catch.com.au

2. Seal it before you roast it

Brown small or lean roasts all over in a little oil before roasting. As they are in the oven for a short time, it will help the colour and, therefore, the flavour, and seal in the juices.

**3. Use a thermometer

To take the guesswork out of cooking times, use a meat thermometer. Remove the roast from the oven and insert a thermometer into the thickest part. The internal temperature should reach:

Beef and lamb: rare 60°C; medium 65°C to 70°C; well-done 75°C.

Need a thermometer? You can get one from Myers.

**4. Small roast? Turn up the heat.

Smaller cuts of meat with less fat should be cooked at a higher temperature. Larger cuts of meat can be cooked at a lower temperature for longer.

5. Cuts of meat for roasting

Eye fillet/tenderloin; rib eye/scotch fillet roast; standing rib roast; rump roast; sirloin roast; topside roast; short ribs/spare ribs.

Looking for more roasting tips or all of our family roasts?

Ingredients

1.5 kilogram piece scotch fillet, at room temperature, trussed

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup water

roasted vegetables, yorkshire puddings, gravy, beans, to serve

Method

1.Preheat oven to 200°C. Weigh beef and calculate cooking time – allow 15-20 minutes per 500g for rare. Brush oil over.

2.Heat a large frying pan or grill pan on medium. Sear beef 2-3 minutes on all sides, until evenly browned.

3.Transfer to a rack in a baking dish. Season to taste and add flavourings of choice.

4.Add water to dish to create steam and to prevent pan juices from burning. Roast 50-60 minutes, until cooked to taste. Rest covered in foil 10-20 minutes, for juices to settle. Slice across the grain to serve.

To test when a roast is done, use tongs to gently squeeze. Rare is very soft, medium-rare is soft, medium is soft but springy, medium-well is firm and well-done is very firm.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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