Roast Beef Recipe

Trim and season

Remove roast from refrigerator 30–60 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess silver skin or large fat caps, leaving a thin fat layer for flavor.

In a small bowl combine kosher salt, black pepper, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, chopped thyme, olive oil, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce to form a pasty rub.

Rub the marinade evenly over the entire roast, pressing it into the surface. Tuck any loose herbs under roast if needed. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 8 hours, then bring back to room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting).

Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). Position a rack in the center of the oven.

Arrange quartered onion, carrot chunks, celery and smashed garlic in a large roasting pan or ovenproof skillet in an even layer. Add bay leaves. Pour 200 ml of the beef stock into the pan to create steam and prevent burning during the initial sear-roast.

Place a rack on top of the vegetables (if available) and set the roast on the rack, fat side up. If you don’t have a rack, set the roast directly on the vegetables so it is slightly elevated.

Initial high-heat sear roast

Put the roast in the preheated oven at 230°C (450°F) for 15 minutes. This develops a browned crust.

After 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 160°C (320°F). Pour the remaining 300 ml beef stock into the pan (careful of hot juices). Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, avoiding fat and bone.

Continue roasting at 160°C (320°F) until internal temperature reaches desired doneness: 50–52°C (122–126°F) for rare, 56–58°C (133–136°F) for medium-rare, 63–66°C (145–150°F) for medium. For a 2 kg roast expect about 60–90 minutes at 160°C after the sear depending on oven and roast shape—check thermometer often after 45 minutes.

When roast reaches target temperature, remove from oven and transfer roast to a carving board. Tent loosely with foil and rest for 15–20 minutes. Transfer pan juices and vegetables to a bowl and skim off excess fat if desired; reserve juices for gravy or serving.

While roast rests, make gravy: place roasting pan with juices on stovetop over medium heat (use a saucepan if your pan isn't stovetop-safe). If pan has lots of browned bits, deglaze with red wine (60 ml), scraping bottom to lift fond.

Strain pan juices into a measuring cup; let fat rise to top and spoon off most of the fat, reserving about 1–2 tbs for flavor. Return about 250 ml of defatted juices to the pan. Add butter and melt over medium heat.

Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes to form a roux, then slowly whisk in remaining beef stock (about 200–250 ml) and any reserved juices until smooth. Simmer until slightly thickened, 3–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If gravy is too thick, thin with a splash of stock; if too thin, simmer a little longer.

Slice roast thinly against the grain and serve with roasted vegetables and gravy.