I don't eat much beef but when I do it has to be special, such as this sprightly and light Thai-style Sunday Roast. The sauce mixing exotic flavours of lemongrass, lime, fish sauce and coriander is a triumph, working as superbly on the juicy vegetables as with the meat. I had leftovers Tuesday night and my kids watched with concern their mother plowing through her plate vigourously while loudly praising herself for being such a taste Goddess. I am. Really.
Roast beef and Spring vegetables with Thai gremolata
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Recipe by: Inspired by Elle a Table, No 58, May/June 2008 Busy:25 min, Total prep time: 1 hour Serves: 6 |
Rub the mustard on the beef joint, season it with salt and pepper and wrap it with the pancetta slices. Place it carefully into a lightly oiled roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190 degrees and roast for another 35 minutes for rare beef  (count 15 minute per 450 g of boned beef), a bit longer if you like it medium and a bit less if you like it blue (my style!). You can tell if the joint is cooked to your liking by sticking a skewer into the middle of the joint. If the juices are clear it is well done. Pink shows it is medium, and red shows it is rare. When the beef is cooked, cover it with a foil tent and let it stand for 15 minutes. This will allow the juices to settle into the meat, enhancing its juiciness and flavour and making carving easier.
Turn the oven temperature back to 240 degrees and reserve the roasting tin.
Wash the asparagus and cut 2 cms (1 inch) off their bottom. If they have a fat root with a thick, fibrous skin, peel the bottom third with a vegetable peeler. Boil the asparagus in salted water for 5 minutes; toss the peas into the boiling water for the last minute of cooking. When ready, drain the vegetables, plunge in cold water to preserve the colour and reserve. 5 minute before serving, toss the vegetables into the meat tin and roll them into the juice (if you used fillet, there may be no juice in the tim so in that case add a drizzle of olive oil). Roast for 5 minutes while carving the meat.
Mix all the Thai gremolata ingredients.
Serve the meat sliced with the vegetables and Thai gremolata liberally poured over both.
Preheat the oven to 240 degrees C.
Rub the mustard on the beef joint, season it with salt and pepper and wrap it with the pancetta slices. Place it carefully into a lightly oiled roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190 degrees and roast for another 35 minutes for rare beef  (count 15 minute per 450 g of boned beef), a bit longer if you like it medium and a bit less if you like it blue (my style!). You can tell if the joint is cooked to your liking by sticking a skewer into the middle of the joint. If the juices are clear it is well done. Pink shows it is medium, and red shows it is rare. When the beef is cooked, cover it with a foil tent and let it stand for 15 minutes. This will allow the juices to settle into the meat, enhancing its juiciness and flavour and making carving easier.
Turn the oven temperature back to 240 degrees and reserve the roasting tin.
Wash the asparagus and cut 2 cms (1 inch) off their bottom. If they have a fat root with a thick, fibrous skin, peel the bottom third with a vegetable peeler. Boil the asparagus in salted water for 5 minutes; toss the peas into the boiling water for the last minute of cooking. When ready, drain the vegetables, plunge in cold water to preserve the colour and reserve. 5 minute before serving, toss the vegetables into the meat tin and roll them into the juice (if you used fillet, there may be no juice in the tim so in that case add a drizzle of olive oil). Roast for 5 minutes while carving the meat.
Mix all the Thai gremolata ingredients.
Serve the meat sliced with the vegetables and Thai gremolata liberally poured over both.
Buy the meat at your butchers. The few extra pounds you will pay for it are really worth the huge difference in meat quality. If you cannot go to your butcher, buy the meat from the counter of your supermarket, rather than pre-packed.
If you have leftover, keep the Thai gremolata in a sealed container in the fridge. The lemon will cook the herbs and onions so its colour will change, but after one or two days of marinating its taste will be fabulous.
If you don't have fresh peas, use frozen peas instead.
If you have leftover, keep the Thai gremolata in a sealed container in the fridge. The lemon will cook the herbs and onions so its colour will change, but after one or two days of marinating its taste will be fabulous.
If you don't have fresh peas, use frozen peas instead.
Ingredients
1.2 kg boned beef joint. Choose a jont from the sirloin, or for a very special occasion, fillet
1 tablespoon strong mustard
10 slices of very thin pancetta or bacon
2 bunches asparagus
400 g fresh peas, shelled
Salt and pepper
For the Thai gremolata:
1 lemongrass stick, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
4 spring onions, wilted leaves trimmed and finely chopped
1 small red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
1/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1.2 kg boned beef joint. Choose a jont from the sirloin, or for a very special occasion, fillet
1 tablespoon strong mustard
10 slices of very thin pancetta or bacon
2 bunches asparagus
400 g fresh peas, shelled
Salt and pepper
For the Thai gremolata:
1 lemongrass stick, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
4 spring onions, wilted leaves trimmed and finely chopped
1 small red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped
1/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce
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