Ingredients
3 kg topside of beef
olive oil
½ a head of celery
2 carrots
1 onion
1 bulb of garlic
3 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
GRAVY
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
1 heaped tablespoon blackberry or blackcurrant jam
125 ml red wine
1 litre organic beef stock
Method
Take the beef out of the fridge 1 hour before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
Drizzle the beef with 1½ tablespoons of oil, season with a pinch of sea salt and a good pinch of black pepper, then rub all over the meat.
Place a 25cm x 35cm roasting tray on the hob over a high heat, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil, then sear the beef for a few minutes, until browned all over.
For the trivet, roughly chop the celery and carrots into big chunks, peel and chop the onion into wedges and break up the garlic bulb into cloves.
Throw the trivet of vegetables into the tray with the bay and rosemary, jiggling the tray to coat the veg in any juices, then roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes for medium and blushing, or cook to your liking. Baste the beef halfway through and if the veg looks dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them from burning.
Remove the beef to a platter, cover with tin foil and leave to rest while you make the gravy.
For the gravy, place the tray on the hob over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, then mash everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the goodness from the base of the tray.
Stir in the jam, then pour over the wine and let it bubble away for a minute or two, before pouring in the stock. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and simmer for around 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
When the gravy is the consistency of your liking, pour it through a sieve into a pan, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Keep warm over a low heat until ready to serve, skimming away any excess fat that comes to the surface, then pour into a gravy boat.
Carve the beef into lovely thin slices, and serve with all the usual trimmings – delicious with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, watercress and a dollop of horseradish.
Tips
Fill your gravy boat or serving jug with boiling water, draining just before pouring in the gravy – this will remove the chill and help to keep your gravy nice and hot at the table.
