The Sunday Roast Recipe

Preheat and season

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Rub the olive oil over the roast, then evenly coat with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, minced garlic, chopped rosemary and thyme. Let sit at room temperature for 30–45 minutes to take the chill off (or at least 20 minutes).

Sear

Heat a heavy ovenproof skillet or roasting pan over high heat until very hot. Sear the roast on all sides, 2–3 minutes per side, until well browned to develop fond. Use tongs to hold edges for even browning.

Roast

Place the seared roast on a rack in the roasting pan (or leave in skillet). Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part. Roast at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes to jump-start browning, then reduce oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 52–55°C (125–130°F) for rare, 57–60°C (135–140°F) for medium-rare (about 15–20 minutes per 500 g after the initial high-heat stage). For a 1.5 kg roast expect approximately 35–45 additional minutes; check thermometer early.

Rest

Remove roast from oven, transfer to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and rest 20–25 minutes. Reserve pan drippings for gravy. Resting lets juices redistribute and finish cooking a few degrees.

While roast begins (or during roasting), place peeled and cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 cm. Add 1 tsp salt, bring to a boil, then simmer gently until potatoes are very tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain well and return to warm pot for 1–2 minutes to evaporate excess moisture.

Warm the milk and melt the butter together (microwave or small saucepan). Mash potatoes using a masher or ricer until mostly smooth. Gradually add warm milk-butter mixture and sour cream (if using), mixing until creamy but not gluey. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Keep warm covered until serving.

After removing the roast, pour off excess fat from the roasting pan, reserving about 2–3 tablespoons (approx. 30–45 ml) of fat and all browned bits. If you don’t have enough fat, supplement with 1–2 tbs oil or butter to reach roughly 100 ml of drippings + fat.

Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop (or transfer fat and bits to a saucepan). Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour into the fat and whisk to form a roux, cooking 1–2 minutes until it turns golden and loses raw flour smell.

Deglaze the pan with 60 ml red wine (if using), scraping up browned bits. Slowly whisk in 500 ml beef stock, bringing to a simmer. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer gently 6–10 minutes until slightly thickened; taste and adjust seasoning. If gravy is too thin, simmer a bit longer; if too thick, add a splash more stock.

Strain gravy through a fine sieve into a serving jug for a smooth finish, if desired. Keep warm until service.

About 15 minutes before roast is done, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and blanch 3–4 minutes until slightly tender. Add trimmed green beans and blanch together 2–3 minutes more until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve color (optional).

When ready to serve, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add drained vegetables, toss to warm and coat with butter, season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Heat just until piping hot, then remove from heat.

Make batter at least 30 minutes before baking: in a bowl whisk 3 eggs lightly, add 140 g flour and 1/2 tsp salt, then gradually whisk in 200 ml milk until smooth. Let batter rest at room temperature 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to relax gluten and improve rise.

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Put 12 standard muffin tin cups (or a 9x13-inch pan) in the oven and add about 1/2 teaspoon of oil or beef drippings to each cup; heat until oil is smoking hot, about 5–7 minutes.

Carefully remove tin, pour batter evenly into the hot cups (fill about 2/3 full). Return immediately to oven and bake 20–25 minutes without opening the oven door until puddings are well-risen and golden-brown. Serve immediately for best puff.

Carve the rested roast thinly against the grain into slices. Reheat gravy if needed, taste and adjust seasoning. Arrange slices of beef on a platter with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Add a Yorkshire pudding or two per serving.

Spoon warm beef gravy over the sliced roast and potatoes, sprinkle chopped parsley over vegetables and potatoes for color, and serve immediately.