I have recently been searching for recipes that use up lemons as I seem to…
Herb Crusted Roast Beef
I recently told you about the Red Tractor challenge that I am taking part in. Before you start thinking I am racing around the country in my Red Tractor (which would be fun), I am actually preparing food that has the Red Tractor food assurance mark on it. This mark shows that the food has been produced in the UK and meets a number of standards regarding food production, safety, hygiene and animal welfare. It also means that the food can be accurately traced to its point of origin.
Sunday is a time for lazy days, pottering in the garden and spending time with the family over a lovingly prepared Sunday roast. Weekday meals are often hasty and rushed. Sunday is a time for cooking in the kitchen preparing food from scratch and enjoying lovely smells wafting around the kitchen while the food cooks. By the time you sit down to the food on your plate the smell has made you hungry. Plates are cleared over conversation and the food is appreciated all the more.
This Sunday I noticed that the herbs in my garden were starting to bush out and look healthy, they were asking to be used. I have a number of herbs, rosemary, mint, thyme, sage and chives are always there. I often plant basil and coriander along with others that never seem to last long. I decided to try adding a herb crust to the roast beef I was making for lunch.
The roast beef came from Aldi who are committed to sourcing Red Tractor assured food and it is 100% British. How well you like your beef done is a matter of preference, I like mine well done. How long you cook the beef depends on the size of the joint. I use the following timings as a guide.
Oven Temperature | Roasting Time | |
---|---|---|
Rare | 180 C Gas 4 | 20 min per 450g (1lb) + 20 min |
Medium | 180 C Gas 4 | 25 min per 450g (1lb) + 25 min |
Well done | 180 C Gas 4 | 30 min per 450g (1lb) + 30 min |
When the joint was nearly done I added the herb crust which I had prepared earlier. I served the roast beef with mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, spring greens and gravy. Everything on the plate bore the Red Tractor mark, including the flour which I used to make the Yorkshire puddings.
The herb crust went really well with the beef and made a Sunday meal even more delicious.
Herb Crusted Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 1 beef roasting joint
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 slices of white bread
- 2 teaspoons chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
- 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
- 2 tablespoons grated cheddar
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons oil
Instructions
- Mix the salt, pepper and sugar together and rub into the joint.
- Roast the beef according to the size of the joint.
- While the beef is cooking use a food processor to make bread crumbs from the bread.
- Add the herbs, garlic and oil to the food processor and mix together.
- Finally add the oil and cheese to the mixture and mix until well combined.
- Twenty minutes before the end of the cooking time remove the beef from the oven and take off any twine around it.
- Coat the beef with the bread crumb topping and put back in the oven for the rest of the cooking time.
- Before serving let the beef rest for about ten minutes.
Disclosure: I was sent a hamper of Red Tractor ingredients in order to help me create some recipes using Red Tractor food.
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