PERFECT ROAST BEEF WITH MARROW BONE MADEIRA GRAVY

Easy cooking method that gives you perfect juicy roast beef and a awesome gravy

Local Dexter beef from West Dorset

Glorious Roast Rib Eye of Beef, this is one of my most favourite roasts, the gorgeous memories of nan and grandad from the old fashioned smell of grass feed roasting beef basting in the glorious fat, this anticipation is just mouth wateringly beautiful, I do confess to having a hankering for the hot crispy salty seasoned fat on the top of the joint, Chefs Perk, the flavour is divine.

Approx oven roasting time for a 2kg / 4.4lb joint

(serves 6)

Blue very very rare 9 minutes per lb = 40-45 minutes cooking and core temperature 45 C

Rare 10 minutes per lb = 45-50 minutes cooking time and core temperature 50 C

Medium 12 minutes per lb = 55 minutes cooking and core temperature 60 C

Well done 18-20 minutes per lb = 81 minutes cooking and a core temperature 70 C

 Ingredients

(serves 6)

The Beef

Approx 2 kg / 4.4 lb rib of beef on the bone with chine bone removed

1 glug olive oil

1 tbsp sea salt & fresh ground black pepper

The Mirepoix 

1 bottle good red wine

500ml water

2 carrots roughly chopped

2 ribs celery roughly chopped

1 leek roughly chopped

1 onion roughly chopped

1/2 bulb garlic bashed

1 small bunch parsley with stalks

2 bay leaves

50ml of oil or beef drippings

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

The Best Ever Roast Beef Gravy

500ml beef marrow bone stock

(recipe below for homemade stock)

200ml Madeira

All the resting juices from the beef and the roasting tin

2 tbsp butter

Sea salt and black pepper

Roast Beef

Pre-heat your oven 220 C / 428 F

Place all the mirepoix ingredients, except the wine and water, in a large roasting tin and toss to combine.

Rub the olive oil salt and black pepper all over the beef joint and place in the center of the roasting tin on top of the mirepoix, add the bottle of red wine and 500ml of water.

Turn the oven down to 180 C / 358 F place the roast in the oven for your required cooking time (calculations above).  Once your preferred cooking time or core temperature is reached take the roast beef out of the oven and cover with baking paper and a tea towel to keep warm while resting.

Rest for at least 20 minutes but as a rule I rest for half the cooking time and more.

To Make the Gravy

From the roasting tin spoon off most of the fat into a dripping bowl, strain all the juices through a colander to remove the mirepoix, place the liquid back in the pan, pop the dripping in the fridge ready to use for the next roast, place your roasting tin on the stove on a medium heat, add the beef stock and Madeira, bring to a rolling simmer and reduce by a third, add all the resting juices from the beef and using a whisk be sure to scrap off all the flavoursome bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan adding further depth to this gorgeous old fashioned honest gravy.  Take the soft almost melting butter and mix in the flour, this will thicken the gravy to your choice, start with half the mix and add to the simmering gravy, whisk in well until smooth, taste and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper if needed, if you want a thicker gravy add more of the (beurre manie) butter flour roux.

Alternatively for gluten free gravy reduce the gravy to slightly thicken and whisk in the butter which will thicken the gravy slightly and add a lovely gloss sheen, you can also blitz a little of the mirepoix and add to thicken the gravy further.

Roasted Bone Marrow Beef Stock

1 good glug olive oil

25g butter

2 marrow bones

Various beef bones and knuckles from the butchers

(or left over roast beef bones)

2 carrots roughly chopped 

2 ribs celery roughly chopped 

2 onions roughly chopped 

1 garlic bulb sliced in half

1 leek roughly chopped 

2 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

10 whole black peppercorns

2 ltrs water

1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt

If you are making your own stock do this the day before so you can leave the stock to very gently simmer for 8 hours to maximum the flavour..

Roast the bone marrow and bones for 1 hour to increase the flavour of the stock.  

Heat the oil and butter add the carrots, leeks, onion, garlic and celery and soften for 5 minutes, place the rest of ingredients into your stock pot add water to cover the bones and leave to gently simmer for up to 8 hours, strain and return to the pan, taste and season with salt and pepper, or reduce the volume to intensify the depth of flavour.