Roast Beef Dinner

Nothing beats a delicious Sunday Roast to wrap up the weekend. This staple dinner that is massively popular in the UK is becoming more enjoyed by folks from all over the world. In this recipe we’ll share with you our classic Roast Beef Dinner recipe. The star of the show is a beautiful piece of Beef that is cooked to a perfect medium rare. Along for the ride are the critical pairings of Roast Potatoes and Onions, as well as some Peas. Top that all off with Gravy and Horseradish Sauce and you’ve got a hearty, delicious, and pretty healthy meal to enjoy with loved ones!

What are the best cuts of Beef for Roasting?

The good news is there are a load of great options to choose from when it comes to roasting Beef. There are really two main factors you need to consider: Price, and Cooking Method

When it comes to price, there are some extremely delicious cuts of beef that are so good when roasted in the oven, but they will break the bank. A classic Ribeye / Rib Roast which you may know from the incredibly popular Prime Rib you can find at steakhouses and buffets all around the world is perhaps one of the best tasting Roast Beef choices. However, it costs an absolute fortune, and for a full side of Prime Rib you’re looking at possibly a couple of hundred dollars. Likely out of the realms of most home cooks looking to make a nice Roast Beef Dinner for the Family

The more affordable cuts of Beef that work great for roasting are Top Round, Strip Loin, and Rump. For the photos in our recipe, we used a beautiful cut of Top Round Roast which had a lovely strip of fat covering the top. This was the perfect choice as it was very affordable, and that layer of fat is perfect for helping to tenderize and flavor the meat when it is roasting in the oven

The cooking method will influence what cuts of Beef to choose

The second factor is the cooking method. If we were looking at doing a slow braise, or low and slow roast over the course of 3 – 4 hours then choosing a cut of beef like Chuck, Beef Cheeks, or Short Ribs makes sense. These cuts of beef are tough, and loaded with fatty fibers that break down and become super tender and tasty over slow cooking

For a quicker cook where you’re looking at a beautiful piece of lean Beef, these cuts aren’t a suitable choice. They will be very tough and not pleasant to eat. For a classic Roast Beef Dinner like this one you typically aim for a cut that will cook fast and still be beautiful and tender

Cooking the perfect Roast Beef Dinner

This dinner is a very easy one to make. You can take your time with it, even preparing the Vegetables or Beef in advance and simply reheating it when its’ dinner time. That’s the key to Sunday cooking in our opinion. It should be stress free and delicious. The weekends are about relaxing and enjoying your time, not stressing over timing and temperatures in the kitchen!

The Beef itself is very easy to cook and, unlike other types of roast meat like Lamb and Pork, it takes no time at all to cook. In fact, you’re Beef will be perfectly medium rare and ready to eat (after a bit of resting of course) after 30 minutes in the oven! So, what I like to do is get those Vegetables in first, as they’ll take a little longer to cook

Prepare the Vegetables first

There’s no need to pre-cook the Potatoes or anything like that. Just scatter them around a large sheet pan along with the Onions and drizzle them with a generous amount of Olive Oil. Season, and roast in the oven for 1 hour, flipping about 40 minutes in

For other types of Roasts, it’s great to add the Vegetables to the same pot as the Protein so all the rendered fat will coat the vegetables as they cook. This isn’t necessary when cooking Beef, as it’s a much leaner cut than other proteins. Given the Beef only takes 30 minutes too, it’ll be way too fiddly to swap the Vegetables into a new pan halfway through

So, when it’s time to flip the Veggies at the 30 minute mark you simply add the Beef onto a separate tray in the Oven and return them all at the same time. Set the temperature of the oven pretty high. We went for 400F and after 1 hour the Vegetables were perfect and the Beefs internal temperature was hovering around 105F

When is the best time to take the Beef out of the Oven

So, it all depends on what temperature you want your final Beef to be before slicing. Personally, I think Roast Beef is at its absolute best when cooked medium rare. Use a meat thermometer and have it sitting right in the center of the Beef as it cooks. Once the middle part of the Beef reaches 105F, take it out and allow it to rest

Resting the Beef will not only allow the juices to settle and redistribute evenly throughout the Beef (resulting in a more tender bite), but it continues to cook the meat. After 15 minutes or resting the temperature should increase by another 10 – 15F, giving you a perfect medium rare Beef ready to carve and serve along with those Veggies

Finishing the Roast Dinner Plate

The final ingredient in this classic Roast Dinner is Peas. It’s common knowledge these days that frozen peas are not only fine, but a recommended choice for home cooking. Which is great, because they’re so easy to make! I just like to nuke them in the microwave for about 1 minute with some cling film covering them to cook them

You can add some Butter and Salt if you like, but they don’t really need it. The Peas add some contrasting flavors and colors to the plate – helping to break through all the brownness! For a classic final pairing, we recommend serving with some Gravy and Horseradish Sauce / Cream

Horseradish is an absolute classic pairing with Roast Beef, and it won’t disappoint. The flavors are quite extreme, but when they are paired with the mildness of the Roast Beef they are a perfect pairing. We cut some corners for this recipe and used package Gravy which was more than suitable too. You can, of course, make your own by using the Meat juices and cooking them down with some Butter, Flour and (optional) Beef Stock

Roast Beef Dinner Recipe

Ingredients

1. Remove the Beef from the refrigerator and allow it to come up to room temperature before beginning
2. Peel and Cut the Potatoes into chunks and scatter them on a large sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle with Olive Oil and season generously with Salt
3. Place in the oven at 400F and roast for 1 hour, turning halfway through
4. Season the Beef generously with Salt and Pepper. Bunch up the Rosemary on a sheet pan to form a bed then place the seasoned Beef on top. After the Vegetables have been roasting for 1 hour, add the Beef
5. Roast the Beef for 30 minutes until the internal temperature reads 105F (it’s best to use a meat thermometer to check). Once at temperature, remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. This will bring the temperature up to 120F, medium rare
6. You can leave the Vegetables in the oven while the meat rests. If they are cooked, just switch off the heat
7. Place the Peas in a bowl covered with cling film and microwave for 1 minute. Carve Beef and plate along with a side of Gravy or Horseradish Cream (or both!)
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can prepare the Potatoes or Beef in advance and simply reheat them when it’s time to cook
• The Beef will make for great leftovers the next day, perfect for Roast Beef Sandwiches
  
  

Talk about easy! This simple Roast Beef Dinner is sure to be a hit in your household. Loaded with flavors and so easy to make, it’s the perfect way to enjoy your Sunday (or any day of the week for that matter!)

If you enjoy this recipe then we’ve got loads more hearty and delicious dinners of epic proportions on this website. Here are a few that we recommend you check out:

• Slow Cooked Carnitas with Cola
• Hearty Beef Stew
• Szechuan Kung Pao Chicken
• Greek Chicken Gyros with Fries
  
  

Happy Cooking!