- Serves6
- CourseMain meal
- Prepare15 mins
- Cook4 hrs 30 mins
- Total time4 hrs 45 mins
- Plusresting
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½kg Aberdeen Angus beef silverside (from the service counter)
- ½ x 200g pack No.1 British Free Range Beech Smoked Bacon Lardons
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 clove/s garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1½ tbsp tomato purée
- 3 anchovies, drained and finely chopped
- 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 375ml full-bodied red wine
- 500ml beef stock
- 1 tsp Marmite
- 3 sprig/s thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 x 150g packs baby topped carrots, scrubbed and tops removed
- Mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or cast iron casserole over medium-high heat. Cut the beef into 2 evenly-sized pieces and season generously. Sear on all sides until golden brown with a thick, caramelised crust, about 10 minutes. Be brave, as the caramelisation will create a deep, meaty flavour that enhances the finished dish. Using tongs, remove the beef and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the lardons to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned and the fat has rendered, then stir in the onion and sauté until softened and light golden, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, then cook for a minute more.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan, stirring well to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste, then add the tomato purée, anchovies and mustard, stirring to combine, and cook for another minute.
Pour in the wine, then stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the beef stock, Marmite, thyme and bay leaves.
Return the beef to the pan and nestle into the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes. Add the carrots, then cook, covered, for 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes more, until the beef is tender and pulls apart when pressed with a fork.
Remove the beef from the pan and rest for 10 minutes. Remove the carrots and keep warm. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves from the gravy. Simmer the gravy, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes to thicken slightly, or add a cornflour slurry for a thick gravy (see tip). Adjust the seasoning, if needed.
Using 2 forks, shred the beef and serve with the carrots and a generous ladle of gravy and with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Cook’s tip
Searing
Don’t scrimp on the searing of the meat either, as a thick layer of caramelisation is what makes a roast so mouth-wateringly good, and the rest of the cooking is with indirect heat. Shred the meat with a fork and serve with a mound of creamy mashed potatoes for a real treat.
Extra thickness
For a thicker gravy, mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water to make a smooth slurry. Gradually add to the gravy as it simmers, stirring, until thickened to your liking.
The right cut
I’m using silverside, a cut of beef from the topside of the rear leg, as it is well suited to pot roasting. The tougher, well-used muscle fibres become tender on slow cooking, but it is still lean so doesn’t create a greasy gravy. Shin and brisket also work well.
Adding potatoes
My favourite way to serve pot roast is shredded, smothered in gravy and piled into a nest of buttery mashed potatoes. But the beauty of pot roast is that it can be a full meal. Add 500g miniature potatoes at the same time as the carrots so they are tender and cooked through once the beef is ready.
Replace the wine
If you’re not a fan of red wine, or don’t have any to hand, use beef stock and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar to recreate that tannic flavour.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 2,564kJ/ 616kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 36g |
Saturated Fat | 14g |
Carbohydrates | 11g |
Sugars | 7g |
Fibre | 3.7g |
Protein | 48g |
Salt | 1.1g |