Description
This hearty Roast Beef Dinner recipe features a perfectly roasted topside of beef paired with crispy roast potatoes, classic Yorkshire pudding, rich gravy, steamed carrots and broccoli, and indulgent cauliflower cheese. Ideal for a comforting family meal, it provides a step-by-step guide to preparing all the components together for a complete Sunday roast experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasoning
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) topside of beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Yorkshire Pudding Batter
- 105 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 medium eggs
- 150 ml (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) milk
- 4 tsp beef dripping or lard (for the tin)
- Pinch salt and pepper
Roast Potatoes
- 120 g (1/2 cup) lard or duck fat
- 1 kg (2.25 lbs) floury potatoes (Maris Piper or red-skinned Rooster)
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Vegetables and Cauliflower Cheese
- 300 g (10.5 oz) Chantenay carrots
- 2 tbsp salted butter (for carrots)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (for carrots)
- 1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 100 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) mature/strong Cheddar cheese
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 1/4 tsp salt (for cauliflower cheese)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (for cauliflower cheese)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
- 300 g (10.5 oz) tenderstem broccoli
- 1 tbsp salted butter (for broccoli)
- Pinch salt and pepper (for broccoli)
Gravy
- 2-3 cups (480-720 ml) water reserved from boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables
- 3 beef stock cubes, crumbled
- 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 5 tbsp cold water (to make slurry)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp gravy browning (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Beef: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (fan). Drizzle olive oil over the beef and season evenly with salt and black pepper. Place the beef in a roasting tin uncovered, and roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes for medium, or 1 hour and 30 minutes for well done, basting once halfway through cooking.
- Make Yorkshire Pudding Batter: Place the flour in a jug and create a well in the center. Crack in the eggs and whisk gradually, incorporating the flour bit by bit. Add the milk and whisk until combined; it’s okay if the batter is slightly lumpy. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes to chill.
- Prepare Roasting Fat for Potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings: Place lard or duck fat in a roasting tin for the potatoes. Add ½ tsp of beef dripping or lard to 8 of the 12 holes in a metal bun tin for the Yorkshire puddings. Heat both fats in the oven until very hot.
- Prep Vegetables: Peel potatoes and chop into large chunks (~2 inches/5 cm). Peel carrots and chop, break cauliflower into florets. Grate cheese for cauliflower cheese.
- Parboil Potatoes: Cover potatoes with cold water in a pan, bring to boil, then simmer for 8-9 minutes until tender at edges. Drain and shake well to rough up edges; set aside.
- Steam Cauliflower: Bring water to boil with steam basket, place cauliflower in basket, cover, and steam for 5 minutes until tender but firm. Drain.
- Heat Fat for Roast Potatoes: Place the roasting tin with fat in top of oven for 10 minutes to heat while beef cooks.
- Roast Potatoes: Add potatoes to hot fat, turning them to coat, and roast at 180C for 25 minutes. After turning over, move to a lower oven shelf and roast for an additional 20-25 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Rest Beef and Raise Oven Temperature: When beef is cooked, remove from oven and cover with foil and tea towels to rest for 30-40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 220C/425F (fan).
- Assemble Cauliflower Cheese: In a baking dish, layer cauliflower and cheese alternated with cream, seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve to bake later.
- Steam Carrots and Broccoli: Boil water and steam carrots for 20 minutes. Steam or boil broccoli for 8-10 minutes until tender.
- Bake Yorkshire Puddings and Cauliflower Cheese: Add Yorkshire pudding tin with hot fat to the oven top for 5 minutes. Remove batter from fridge, season, whisk, and pour evenly into Yorkshire pudding holes. Place cauliflower cheese dish in oven. Bake both for 20 minutes until golden and risen.
- Make Gravy: Heat roasting tray with meat juices on hob. Add crumbled beef stock cubes and reserved water from vegetables and potatoes. Stir, scrape bits from pan for flavor. Add cornstarch slurry gradually until gravy thickens. Optionally add gravy browning. Keep warm on low heat.
- Finish Vegetables: Drain steamed carrots and broccoli. Toss carrots with butter and sprinkle white pepper; toss broccoli with butter, salt, and pepper.
- Serve: Carve rested beef, transfer all components (roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, steamed carrots and broccoli) to serving dishes. Sprinkle fresh parsley on cauliflower cheese. Pour gravy into a jug. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe includes a detailed step-by-step guide with a free time plan to help coordinate all components of the roast beef dinner timing perfectly.
- Use a roasting tin that is safe for hob use to make the gravy directly from meat juices.
- Roughening the edges of the parboiled potatoes ensures extra crispy roast potatoes.
- Resting the beef is essential to keep it juicy and tender before carving.
- Yorkshire puddings require very hot fat in the tin to rise well and become crisp.
- If you don’t have a steam basket, boil the cauliflower directly but avoid overcooking to maintain texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 1098 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 2549 mg
- Fat: 55 g
- Saturated Fat: 23 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 71 g
- Fiber: 11 g
- Protein: 78 g
- Cholesterol: 343 mg
