Equipment
Ingredients
Roast Beef
- 1500 g beef top rump joint, room temperature
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 10 g sea salt flakes
- 5 g black pepper, coarsely ground
- 5 g mustard powder
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
Roast Potatoes & Vegetables
- 1500 g maris piper potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 500 g carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 500 g parsnips, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 100 g beef dripping
Yorkshire Puddings
- 140 g plain flour
- 4 eggs, large
- 200 ml whole milk
- 60 ml vegetable oil
Rich Gravy
- 150 ml red wine
- 500 ml beef stock
- 10 g cornstarch
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1139 kcal
- Protein
- 77 g
- Carbohydrates
- 91 g
- Fat
- 51 g
- Fiber
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 988 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 307 mg
- Potassium
- 2863 mg
- Calcium
- 205 mg
- Iron
- 9.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 154 mg
- Phosphorus
- 998 mg
- Zinc
- 12.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 783 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 46 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 39 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 4.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.57 mg
- Riboflavin
- 1.01 mg
- Niacin
- 21.1 mg
- Folate
- 163 mcg
- Water
- 653 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Remove the beef from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to reach room temperature. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F.
Prepare the Yorkshire pudding batter: In a bowl, whisk the eggs and flour until smooth, then gradually whisk in the milk until the consistency of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper, cover, and rest in the fridge.
Place peeled potatoes in a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until the edges soften but the centers remain firm. Drain in a colander and shake vigorously to rough up the edges.
Rub the beef with oil, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Place sliced onions in the center of the roasting tin to act as a trivet. Place beef on top. Roast for 20 minutes at 220°C/425°F to sear, then reduce oven to 180°C/350°F.
Add the beef dripping to a separate baking tray and place in the oven to heat up. Once hot, carefully add the parboiled potatoes, tossing to coat in fat. Roast alongside the beef.
Continue roasting the beef until the internal temperature reaches 52°C/125°F for rare or 60°C/140°F for medium (approx 15 mins per 500g). Add carrots and parsnips to the potato tray for the last 45 minutes of cooking.
Remove beef from the oven, transfer to a board, cover loosely with foil, and rest for at least 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature back to 220°C/425°F.
Pour 5ml of oil into each hole of a 12-hole muffin tin. Place in the hot oven for 5 minutes until smoking hot. Quickly pour the batter into the holes and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. DO NOT open the oven door.
While puddings bake, make the gravy. Place the beef roasting tin (with onions and juices) on the stove over medium heat. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up fond. Add beef stock and simmer. Thicken with cornstarch slurry if desired, then strain.
Carve the rested beef thinly. Serve with the roasted potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire puddings, and generous amounts of gravy.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to the crispiest potatoes is 'chuffing' them: shaking the colander vigorously after par-boiling to create a floury, rough surface that crisps up in the fat.
- Resting the meat is not optional. It allows the muscle fibers to relax and reabsorb juices. If you carve immediately, the juices will run out and the meat will be dry.
- For the Yorkshire puddings, use vegetable oil or lard rather than olive oil, as you need a fat with a high smoke point to get the tin hot enough without burning.
- Make sure your ingredients for the Yorkshire batter are cold when they hit the hot oil; the thermal shock helps the rise.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store beef and vegetables in airtight containers. Yorkshire puddings become soggy and are best eaten fresh.
Freezer: 2 months — Sliced beef and gravy freeze well. Do not freeze roasted potatoes.
Reheating: Reheat beef gently in gravy to prevent drying out. Re-crisp potatoes in an oven or air fryer.
Troubleshooting
Yorkshire puddings did not rise
Cause: The oil in the tin was not hot enough before adding the batter, or the oven door was opened during cooking.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked flat; serve as they are.
Prevention: Ensure the oil is smoking hot (literally smoking) and keep the oven door closed for the full duration.
Roast potatoes are not crispy
Cause: Overcrowding the pan or the oil wasn't hot enough initially.
Fix: Increase oven heat or use an air fryer to finish them while meat rests.
Prevention: Use a large tray so potatoes have space; ensure fat is sizzling hot before adding potatoes.
Cultural Context
The Sunday Roast is a cornerstone of British culture, originating from the industrial revolution when families would put a cut of meat in the oven before church so it would be ready by lunchtime. It represents a time for families to gather and is traditionally served early Sunday afternoon.
