Recipes

Beef Recipes

Cooking guidelines for cuts of beef in our boxes:

Topside & Top Rump Joints – prime, lean cuts from the hindleg, ideal for roasting:

20 minutes at 230°C  then reduce to 180°C and cook for 15 minutes per 500g (rare).  Add 15 minutes to the total cooking time for medium rare, or 30 minutes for well done.

Silverside – a leaner joint than topside.  Can also be roasted, best at slightly lower temperatures for a longer cooking time, to ensure it is tender without drying out.  Even better in a pot roast.

Rib – makes a fabulous roast, cooked on the bone until tender - cooking times similar to topside.

Slow Roast Joints – These boned and rolled cuts are ideal for slow roast, or pot-roasting.  (see below)  The fat contained in these cuts is essential, as it melts during cooking, basting the meat, and resulting in the some of the most tasty joints. 

Brisket – Another slow roast cut. The high fat content will melt away during cooking, leaving a smaller portion size, but full of flavour!  Cooked long & slow enough, this is the equivalent of pulled pork.  See recipe suggestion below.

Rump & Sirloin Steaks – prime cuts, suitable for grilling, frying or BBQ cooking.

Braising Steaks – cut from the shoulder, these require slower cooking - ideal for casseroles & stews.

Diced beef – use for slow cooked stews and casseroles. Try the Indonesian Beef Curry recipe below.

Mince – perfect for bolognaise, lasagne, chillis.

​Pot Roast Beef

This will work with any of the joints in your box, but is especially good for the slow roast joints and rolled brisket:

Rolled brisket/slow roast joint                         500ml beer or stock

5 medium carrots, chopped                             2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

5 large potatoes, cut into chunks                      1 tbsp tomato puree

2 medium onions, sliced                                  1 tsp mixed herbs

Preheat the oven to 140C.

Heat some oil in a frying pan and when hot, brown the joint all over.  Remove from the pan and place aside. 

Reduce the heat and add the carrots, onions and potatoes to the frying pan.  Cook gently for 5-10 minutes.

Place the beef joint in the centre of an oven proof dish.  Arrange the vegetables around the joint, then pour in the stock or beer.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, mixed herbs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and a tight fitting lid.

Place in the oven and cook for 3-4 hours, until tender.

1. Put the spices and peppercorns in a frying pan and toast over a medium heat for a few minutes, taking care not to burn them. Allow to cool.

2. Once cooled, add the spices to a pestle and mortar and crush to a powder.

3. Add the sugar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and mix together.

4. Undo the string and lay the beef out flat.  Score the inside of the beef with a sharp knife and rub the spice mix all over the joint, inside and out. Roll the joint up again and tie securely. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight.

5. The next day, preheat the oven to 160C/325F. Place the brisket on a wire rack inside a roasting tray and pour the beef stock around the outside. Cover the whole tray with aluminium foil to prevent any moisture escaping. Place in the oven to cook slowly for 4-6 hours, occasionally checking that the liquid hasn’t evaporated. Add some water if it looks low.

6.  After 4-6 hours the beef should be soft and tender. Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the aluminium foil for 25 minutes. Reserve any cooking juices.

7. For the barbecue sauce, put a very large pan over a high heat and add the vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and slowly reduce the volume of liquid by half. Add the sugar, bourbon, cola, ketchup and juices and Worcestershire sauce.

8. Skim off the fat from the surface of the beef brisket cooking juices and add the remaining juices to the pan. Bring back to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer very slowly for 15-20 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, remove the brisket from the rack and pull the meat apart using a fork. Add the shredded brisket to the simmering sauce along with any juices left in the roasting tray. Bring back to a very low simmer and cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat off and put the pan to one side.

10. Serve the pulled beef in rolls to make the ultimate beef sandwich.

For the brisket:

• 2 tbsp coriander seeds

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds

• 1½ tbsp yellow mustard seeds

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns

• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar

• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• whole piece of brisket beef

• 400ml beef stock

For the barbecue sauce

• 250ml cabernet sauvignon vinegar

• 75g soft dark brown sugar

• 75ml bourbon whisky

• 75ml cola

• 250ml tomato ketchup

• splash Worcestershire sauce

• 200ml cooking juices from the beef brisket  or beef gravy

Pulled Beef Brisket – the Ultimate Beef Sandwich.

(Tom Kerridge)

This takes a while, as the spice rub needs to be applied the day before cooking, but is well worth the wait!  Serve as a beef sandwich, in rolls, with salad or coleslaw.

Turkey Recipe Ideas

Leftover turkey?  There's nothing better!  In fact, we'd even suggest that it's worth ordering a larger turkey, just to make sure you have some.......

Aside from the turkey sandwiches on boxing day, here are some more fabulous ideas to make the most of this delicious seasonal treat:

We are still working on this page - lamb and pork recipes coming soon.  If you have tried and tested recipes which you would like to share, we'd love to hear from you!