roast beef - help!
Discussion
Soo i never seem to get roast beef right. There are some threads on it but have some specific questions.
for christmas eve I have a 3kg piece of topside. have just 4 for then and want it for cold on boxing day
How do I get it medium rare and more importantly not tough which it always seems to be.
I read slow and low is good. In which case:
should it be on fan or normal oven?
should it be covered with foil?
should it be seared beforehand / after?
how long to leave it to rest
when resting should it be tightly or loosely covered in foil / tea towels etc?
any ideas on timings? I have a meat thermometer but need a rough guide to prepare everything else!
any tips appreciated thanks
for christmas eve I have a 3kg piece of topside. have just 4 for then and want it for cold on boxing day
How do I get it medium rare and more importantly not tough which it always seems to be.
I read slow and low is good. In which case:
should it be on fan or normal oven?
should it be covered with foil?
should it be seared beforehand / after?
how long to leave it to rest
when resting should it be tightly or loosely covered in foil / tea towels etc?
any ideas on timings? I have a meat thermometer but need a rough guide to prepare everything else!
any tips appreciated thanks
Topside is a poor roasting joint.
The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
zygalski said:
Topside is a poor roasting joint.
The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
will it be pink if cooked low and slow? wasnt particularly cheap but point taken!The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
petemurphy said:
zygalski said:
Topside is a poor roasting joint.
The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
will it be pink if cooked low and slow? wasnt particularly cheap but point taken!The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
Pete,
If you want it pink then the centre cannot exceed around 60c to 65c. The issue here is that such a joint may be quite tough at that temp. The solution, if you want it pink, is to slice very thinly across the grain.
Cooking it low and slow at 150 will mean that the heat will transfer all the way to the middle and it'll be dry and grey in colour. As Zygalski states, it's a poor roasting joint and doesn't contain enough fat to be succulent whichever way you cook it.
Personally, if you're not willing to freeze it and buy yourself an aged rib, or a goose, for that matter, would be to sear it with lots of salt and pepper and mustard powder to form a crust, then wrap it in cling film and then foil, and place it in a 65c oven with indirect heat (so fan setting) for between 4 and 6 hours. This should give you even pinkness with a good outer crust for flavour.
It'll only need a quick rest. You can even post-sear again to refresh the crust.
It'll be more than safe to eat at this temp. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
If you want it pink then the centre cannot exceed around 60c to 65c. The issue here is that such a joint may be quite tough at that temp. The solution, if you want it pink, is to slice very thinly across the grain.
Cooking it low and slow at 150 will mean that the heat will transfer all the way to the middle and it'll be dry and grey in colour. As Zygalski states, it's a poor roasting joint and doesn't contain enough fat to be succulent whichever way you cook it.
Personally, if you're not willing to freeze it and buy yourself an aged rib, or a goose, for that matter, would be to sear it with lots of salt and pepper and mustard powder to form a crust, then wrap it in cling film and then foil, and place it in a 65c oven with indirect heat (so fan setting) for between 4 and 6 hours. This should give you even pinkness with a good outer crust for flavour.
It'll only need a quick rest. You can even post-sear again to refresh the crust.
It'll be more than safe to eat at this temp. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Pferdestarke said:
Pete,
If you want it pink then the centre cannot exceed around 60c to 65c. The issue here is that such a joint may be quite tough at that temp. The solution, if you want it pink, is to slice very thinly across the grain.
Cooking it low and slow at 150 will mean that the heat will transfer all the way to the middle and it'll be dry and grey in colour. As Zygalski states, it's a poor roasting joint and doesn't contain enough fat to be succulent whichever way you cook it.
Personally, if you're not willing to freeze it and buy yourself an aged rib, or a goose, for that matter, would be to sear it with lots of salt and pepper and mustard powder to form a crust, then wrap it in cling film and then foil, and place it in a 65c oven with indirect heat (so fan setting) for between 4 and 6 hours. This should give you even pinkness with a good outer crust for flavour.
It'll only need a quick rest. You can even post-sear again to refresh the crust.
It'll be more than safe to eat at this temp. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
I've never heard of wrapping it in clingfilm before, why not?! Also 4-6 hours is a little vague. Can you be more specific regarding times=weights?If you want it pink then the centre cannot exceed around 60c to 65c. The issue here is that such a joint may be quite tough at that temp. The solution, if you want it pink, is to slice very thinly across the grain.
Cooking it low and slow at 150 will mean that the heat will transfer all the way to the middle and it'll be dry and grey in colour. As Zygalski states, it's a poor roasting joint and doesn't contain enough fat to be succulent whichever way you cook it.
Personally, if you're not willing to freeze it and buy yourself an aged rib, or a goose, for that matter, would be to sear it with lots of salt and pepper and mustard powder to form a crust, then wrap it in cling film and then foil, and place it in a 65c oven with indirect heat (so fan setting) for between 4 and 6 hours. This should give you even pinkness with a good outer crust for flavour.
It'll only need a quick rest. You can even post-sear again to refresh the crust.
It'll be more than safe to eat at this temp. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
last two joints I've done were silverside. About £7-8, clearly enough for 4 people. I seared it all over first, put it in a lidded pyrex dish with a generour glug of red wine and a quartered onion then roasted it on about 160C for 1 hour-1 hour 15 mins. Took it out, covered it in foil and put about 3 teatowels over it for 30-40 mins.
Results; far better than Ive ever had before, so tender.
Fastchas said:
I've never heard of wrapping it in clingfilm before, why not?! Also 4-6 hours is a little vague. Can you be more specific regarding times=weights?
last two joints I've done were silverside. About £7-8, clearly enough for 4 people. I seared it all over first, put it in a lidded pyrex dish with a generour glug of red wine and a quartered onion then roasted it on about 160C for 1 hour-1 hour 15 mins. Took it out, covered it in foil and put about 3 teatowels over it for 30-40 mins.
Results; far better than Ive ever had before, so tender.
The cling film is to prevent shrinkage. The moisture content needs to be kept as high as possible with joints like this. It is also safe to use in an oven up to about 160c. last two joints I've done were silverside. About £7-8, clearly enough for 4 people. I seared it all over first, put it in a lidded pyrex dish with a generour glug of red wine and a quartered onion then roasted it on about 160C for 1 hour-1 hour 15 mins. Took it out, covered it in foil and put about 3 teatowels over it for 30-40 mins.
Results; far better than Ive ever had before, so tender.
I suggested 4-6 hours because the meat will have reached the ideal internal temp after around 4 hrs, but because the oven is only set to the same temperature, it won't overcook. This gives a window of two hours to "hold" the meat at that temp if desired with little to no spoilage.
Because the meat is held at a lower temp than traditional "roasting", the resting period is far shorter.
If you think of the above method as more gradual and even heating to a desired internal temp, rather than super-heating the external surface and allowing those high temperatures to transfer through close to the centre leaving only a pink core.
Both methods can be good. And mine does rely on your oven being able to hold such a low temp without large fluctuations. Most are capable of that.
Another method would be to brine it before following my method. Three days in a 5% brine, 3% sugar solution should see more tender and succulent results.
Depends if you're folowing the cling film low temp method. You'd add water to help prevent moisture loss with traditional roasting. You can go a step further and wrap it in cling film to stop it from dripping its moisture in to the tray.
You've caused mayhem with your piece of topside!!!
You've caused mayhem with your piece of topside!!!
Pferdestarke said:
Depends if you're folowing the cling film low temp method. You'd add water to help prevent moisture loss with traditional roasting. You can go a step further and wrap it in cling film to stop it from dripping its moisture in to the tray.
You've caused mayhem with your piece of topside!!!
spent the cash on the turkey so didnt want to spend a fortune! its 3 kg - i presume if i got a 3kg rib it would feed less? never bought one before but am wondering now! ( assuming i can change my farmshop order )You've caused mayhem with your piece of topside!!!
i think the way to go may to to slice thinly!
assuming no cling film as that just sounds too heston (!) and topside would the best way to go be a bit of water and foil and fan oven. would i need to top up the water. would the water make the beef bottom soggy or would you only have water up to the vegetables.
aaargh
dammit is mcdonalds open christmas eve
aaargh
dammit is mcdonalds open christmas eve
Definitely get a meat thermometer. Ovens behave differently, and the only way you'll know what's going on in the middle of your joint of meat is to cook it with the probe in it. Remember that when you take it out of the oven and rest it, it will keep cooking for a little while so allow for that when you judge what temperature to lift it out at.
Pothole said:
petemurphy said:
zygalski said:
Topside is a poor roasting joint.
The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
will it be pink if cooked low and slow? wasnt particularly cheap but point taken!The only way around it is to season & sear it & then put on a heavy duty tray, cover it in foil & cook it low & slow, say on 150 degrees c in a fan oven for 3 or 4 hours. No joint should need resting for more than about 45 minutes, regardless of size.
To get fantastic traditional roast beef you need to pay more & buy a better joint, like forerib.
JamieOliver said:
"The meat has to be rested after cooking for at least half an hour and sliced really thinly for you to enjoy the tenderness."
because if you have to slice it really thin the enjoy the tenderness the meat is not tender!If the meat is tender then you will enjoy a thicker slice. Thin is nice but you can't beat it thicker!
I used to be a butcher. I always used to give this tip;
'The butcher keeps the darkest, blackest cut of beef for himself'
The really bright pink you see on supermarket shelves really won't produce the result you want.
Asda's cry-vac pack ones are quite good. Try to get a nice even looking slab with no seams running through it.
I used to be a butcher. I always used to give this tip;
'The butcher keeps the darkest, blackest cut of beef for himself'
The really bright pink you see on supermarket shelves really won't produce the result you want.
Asda's cry-vac pack ones are quite good. Try to get a nice even looking slab with no seams running through it.
With topside I would do it as a pot roast. Slow cooking in liquid is the best way for that cut. Something like this :
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2875673/potroas...
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2875673/potroas...
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