Ideas for Roast Beef with a twist

The Hill Billy

I've got a joint of roast beef for dinner with the in-laws on Saturday. I'm now wishing that I'd gone for something that would challenge my palate (& theirs) a bit more.

Does anyone have a tried & trusted recipe for something a bit more different? A decent recipe for a dry spice rub maybe?

I have had a google around, but nothing is screaming "Try me!"

Thanks in advance.

bonkey

No, but I'd be interested if you do find and succeed with anything.

I do one of three things with a roasting cut of beef :

1) Salt & Pepper, sear in pan, roast in oven
2) Salt & pepper , cook on BBQ
3) Turned into spiced beef. Takes 2-3 weeks, but well worth the effort

None of this helps you, of course.

RE*AC*TOR

Try it with Rosemary. Its usually kept for roast lamb, but it also works well with beef.

The Hill Billy

Bonkey - Will do.

Thanks RE*AC*TOR - I use rosemary quite a bit with beef. I cut small holes in the outer fat & stud with rosemary & slivers of garlic.

Thinking more about it now I may try a cumin & coriander (& maybe paprika?) rub on the beef. Kind of warming for a chilly autumn evening. A smattering of whole cumin & crushed coriander seeds on the roasted veg (squash, parsnips & carrots) to compliment the meat.

As a matter of interest - how does one like one's roast beef? Rare - as one would see on practically every tv foodie programme? TBH - I prefer to roast mine at a low heat for bloody ages until the meat falls apart.

bonkey

Hill Billy wrote:

Thinking more about it now I may try a cumin & coriander (& maybe paprika?) rub on the beef.

I'd skip the paprika.

It burns relatively easily, and I find it loses more and more of its flavour the more its cooked as part of a rub without imparting great flavour in the process.

A smattering of whole cumin & crushed coriander seeds on the roasted veg (squash, parsnips & carrots) to compliment the meat.

Good call.

You've also just reminded me that I need to make carrot & coriander soup soon.

As a matter of interest - how does one like one's roast beef? Rare - as one would see on practically every tv foodie programme? TBH - I prefer to roast mine at a low heat for bloody ages until the meat falls apart.

I'm very much in the "crispy on the outside, almost raw in the centre" rare camp. However, if its not gonna be served that way, then slow-cooked like you're describing is the only real alternative.

The Hill Billy

Thanks for the heads-up on paprika burning easily.
Will let you know how the rest goes.

The Sweeper

I like my roast beef medium to rare, with a mustard flour rub on the fat, salt, and pepper. I wouldn't try and make it more interesting - I think a well cut piece of prime rib roast, with perfect yorkshire puddings and a rich, meaty gravy is the best thing since man discovered fire. If you wnt to spice it up a bit, try doing different things with your vegetables. Pan shaken roast potatoes, a parsnip puree, beetroot and horseradish cream, perfect cauliflower cheese - I find that it's easy to do a roast, but difficult to achieve Sunday lunch perfection.

Diogenes

For the sides.

I recommend you drizzle some balsmic vingear over the roast veg for a different taste.

Also got a good reciepe for roast baby potatoes, salt olive oil and some whole garlic cloves, in addition some small slices of lemon scattered among them , gives an interesting twist.

Diogenes

A sweet potato mash is another good side as well. Or mushrooms in cream and pesto

Incidently anyone have a really good yorkshire pud reciepe?

The Hill Billy

Thanks to those who posted - but was in the boozer by 3 on Friday afternoon & didn't get to read your posts until now.

Well, I ended up going with the cumin/coriander/black pepper rub on the meat, & whole cumin seeds/crushed corainder on the veg. It worked really, really well. My MIL was well impressed - and that's saying something.

The cumin/coriander combination with the butternut squash was incredible & I'll have to experiment further. Thinking of trying it out in soup form.

Thanks again for your comments.

Mr Woods

Bit late, but .............Boil the beef for an hour before you seal it in the pan, then roast it,(subtract 1 hr from roasting time) - tres bon ar fad Tip thanks to butcher in dunnes !!