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Ingredients
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Roast beef
Horseradish sauce
Salad & bread
Method
Roast beef
Bring beef to room temperature
Remove the beef joint from the refrigerator 45–60 minutes before cooking so it comes close to room temperature. This promotes even cooking.
Preheat oven & season
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Rub the beef all over with olive oil, then season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Press the smashed garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs against the meat so they adhere; you can tuck rosemary under twine or lay on top.
Sear (optional) and roast
Place the beef on a wire rack set inside a roasting pan (or a rack-less pan if unavailable). Roast at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes to develop a crust. Then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches your desired doneness: about 50–55°C (122–131°F) for rare, 57–60°C (135–140°F) for medium-rare, or 63–68°C (145–155°F) for medium. For a 1.2 kg joint expect roughly 35–55 more minutes depending on oven and desired doneness — use a probe thermometer for accuracy.
Rest
Remove the roast from the oven, tent loosely with foil and let rest for 15–20 minutes. Resting allows juices to redistribute and the internal temperature to rise a few degrees.
Carve
Transfer the roast to a carving board. Using a sharp carving knife, slice beef thinly against the grain for sandwiches or slightly thicker for plated portions.
Horseradish sauce
While the beef rests, combine prepared horseradish, sour cream, wholegrain mustard, lemon juice, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more horseradish for heat or a little water/cream to loosen if too thick. Chill briefly if time allows; sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept refrigerated.
Salad & bread
Dress the watercress lightly: whisk lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, then toss with the watercress just before serving to keep it crisp.
If serving as sandwiches, toast the wholemeal bread slices lightly and spread with softened butter if using. Layer sliced roast beef, a smear of horseradish sauce, and a handful of dressed watercress. Alternatively, serve slices of roast beef on the side with horseradish sauce and a watercress salad.