Hot Roast Beef With Gravy Recipe

Prepare the roast

Remove the roast from the refrigerator 45–60 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature. Pat the roast dry with paper towels.

Combine kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the roast, pressing it into the surface.

Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Quarter the onion, cut carrots into large chunks and roughly chop the celery.

Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven or heavy roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering, sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to a plate.

Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned at the edges, about 6 minutes. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Return the roast to the pan, nestling it on top of the vegetables. Add two sprigs of fresh thyme and the bay leaves. Pour 120 ml red wine (if using) around the roast to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cover the pan with a lid or tightly with foil and place in the preheated oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 55–60°C (130–140°F) for medium-rare to medium, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes for a 1.5 kg roast. For medium-well, cook to 65°C (150°F).

Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and rest for 15–20 minutes before slicing. Reserve the pan and vegetables and all pan juices for the gravy.

While the roast rests, place the roasting pan with vegetables and pan juices over medium heat on the stovetop. If the pan is very hot, reduce heat to medium-low. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

If there is a large pool of fat, spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons. Add butter to the pan and melt. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the vegetables and whisk continuously to form a roux, cooking 2–3 minutes until it turns light golden and loses its raw flour taste.

Gradually whisk in the beef stock, scraping up any brown bits. Add the remaining fresh thyme sprigs, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the gravy thickens slightly, about 6–8 minutes.

If you want a smooth gravy, transfer the mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. Be careful with hot liquids—vent the blender slightly and work in batches if necessary. Return smooth gravy to the pan and adjust seasoning to taste.

Optionally strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan for an extra-smooth finish, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Slice the rested roast thinly against the grain. Serve the hot beef with gravy spooned over the slices or on the side.