Roast Beef In Gravy Recipe

Bring roast to room temperature

Remove the beef from the refrigerator 45–60 minutes before cooking so it comes closer to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels.

Season roast

In a small bowl combine kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder. Rub the roast all over with olive oil, then rub the seasoning mix evenly over the surface.

Sear the roast

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Heat a large heavy ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add butter and when melted and foaming, sear the roast 2–3 minutes per side until deeply browned on all sides (including ends). Use tongs to hold roast on side if needed to brown evenly.

While searing, roughly chop the onion into large wedges, cut carrots into 2–3 cm pieces and halve the celery stalks. Scatter the vegetables in the roasting pan around the seared roast. Tuck thyme sprigs, bay leaves and whole peppercorns among the vegetables.

Place the pan in the preheated oven. Roast at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes to develop a crust, then reduce oven temperature to 160°C (325°F). Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads: 55°C (130°F) for medium-rare, 60°C (140°F) for medium — about 45–75 minutes depending on roast size. Start checking at 40 minutes for smaller roasts.

Remove the roast from the oven when it reaches desired temperature. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let rest 15–20 minutes. Leave the pan with vegetables and juices on the stovetop for the gravy.

Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. If the pan is very hot and fat-heavy, spoon off excess fat leaving about 1–2 tablespoons. Add the red wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon; cook 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.

Add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook 8–10 minutes to concentrate flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning roughly (it will be adjusted again after thickening).

Strain the sauce

Strain the pan juices and vegetables through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids and return strained liquid to the saucepan. Keep warm over low heat.

Make a flour slurry

Whisk the all-purpose flour with the cold water until smooth to make a slurry (this avoids lumps).

Gradually whisk the slurry into the simmering strained sauce. Continue to simmer gently, whisking, until gravy thickens to desired consistency, about 3–5 minutes. If gravy becomes too thick, whisk in small amounts of additional stock or water to thin. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

If a silky finish is desired, stir in 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter off the heat and swirl to emulsify before serving.

Slice the rested roast thinly against the grain. Arrange slices on a platter or individual plates and spoon warm gravy over or serve gravy in a sauceboat alongside. Garnish with reserved thyme sprigs if desired.