Recipe: Roast beef

First, remove the bacon fat and strings from the beef roast. If you notice that the roast is in several pieces, tie it back together with kitchen twine. Let the meat sit at room temperature for half an hour before preparation.

1- On high heat, place a knob of butter and a tablespoon of grape seed oil in an oven-safe dish (like a Le Creuset). Once the mixture is well-heated, sear your beef roast on each side. Important tip: do not add salt at this stage (this helps retain all the blood inside).

2- Preheat your oven to 210°C (th7+).

3- Add around your roast a peeled and quartered onion, a bay leaf, and a bit of thyme (for the jus).

4- Place your roast in the oven at mid-height for 30 minutes (10 to 12 minutes per pound of meat, depending on whether your roast is thick or elongated). Ensure that your onions do not burn by occasionally adding a tablespoon of water.

5- When the roast comes out of the oven, remove it from the dish, sprinkle a little fleur de sel and a turn of the pepper mill on top. Remove some of the fat from the dish, season with salt and pepper, and put the dish back on the heat.

6- Pour a large glass of water (15 cl) into the dish, bring it to a boil, and with a spatula, scrape the juices stuck to the bottom of your dish.

7- Turn off the heat, then place a plate or an inverted lid at the bottom of your cooking dish and place your beef roast on top, covered with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes, allowing it to release its own juice.

8- Place your roast on your cutting board and remove the plate from the bottom of the dish. Put the dish back on the heat and give your juice a final boil, enriched by the meat, then strain it. Cut your roast into thin slices.

9- Pour a bit of the boiling juice into the bottom of your presentation dish, arrange your thin slices of beef roast, and drizzle some very hot juice over them because it will provide the necessary heat for the enjoyment of your roast beef. Serve the rest in a gravy boat.

You can use the same recipe with venison or horse meat (same cooking times). This resting technique works for all red meats. When you apply these tips for the first time, I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the result.

Serve this roast beef with mashed potatoes, baked apples, french fries, sautéed potatoes, dauphine potatoes, as well as green vegetables or more original combinations like sautéed Jerusalem artichokes and carrot slices, a purée of bulbous chervil, and, of course, all sautéed mushrooms: chanterelles, porcini, but also sliced button mushrooms mixed with small diced cooked potatoes and bacon, an excellent and affordable accompaniment.