Forerib of Beef with Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
(Serves 4 per rib)
The Forerib of beef has a really distinct flavour because it is left on the bone and has a nice coating of fat around the outside. I know a lot of people shy away from fat, but when it comes to meat, fat and bone really do equal flavour- the more the better.
When it comes to roasts all you have to worry about is your timings for which I work backwards. If I know when I want to eat, I know that I have to put the green beans on to boil ten minutes before the end, the carrots in the roasting tin 40 minutes before, and the potatoes in 55 minutes before the end. The gravy can be made at any point and kept warm on the hob. Just jot down on a bit of paper before you start.
As for how long to cook the beef: Cook for 20 minutes at 220C to really crisp up the fat on the outside. Then lower your oven to 160C and cook for 45 minutes for every kilogram it weighs.
You will need:
1 rib of beef (1kg) | 2 onions halved | 1 kilo potatoes peeled and chopped | green beans | carrots |
For the gravy:
Bisto Best Beef gravy powder | cherry tomato/celery/carrot/onion/garlic | splash of red wine | spoonful of redcurrant or port jelly
How to
After roasting for twenty minutes I place the Forerib on 2 onions halved. This is because I like to cook the potatoes in a good couple of tablespoons of hot oil to get them really crispy… Placing the beef on the onions just stops the oil running into the meat and making it greasy. Your oil will then be sizzling hot when you want to add your potatoes to the pan, and will really help to crisp them up. If the oil is too cold it will just seep into the potatoes instead of just sealing the outside.
While the oil is heating up and beef is cooking away, you need to peel, chop and par boil your potatoes. Bring to the boil in cold water and let simmer for 5-7 minutes. Drain away the water and, with the lid on the saucepan, shake well. This will make the potatoes really fluffy and eventually crispy. Keep the lid on the potatoes until you want to cook them, keeping them as warm as possible.
For the gravy I have to admit I cheat and use Bisto Best (gluten free) as it is the easiest way to make sure you get a nice thick consistency… However I always make sure I add my own flavours to make it taste that little bit more special.
In a pan, sweat down some vegetables with flavour. I tend to use whatever is in the fridge, so here I used tomatoes, olives, mushroom and onion. However celery, carrot and garlic all work well. Then add a splash of water and a bigger splash of red wine and whack up the heat to get all those flavours working together. Adding a spoonful of redcurrant or port jelly also makes a big difference if you have any in. At this point make up your bisto gravy in a Pyrex measuring jug- 3-heaped spoons of powder to a pint of water- and add to the gravy. Lower the heat and let it do its thing until the dinner is done when you can just sieve into a gravy jug.
The final thing to do is to boil some green vegetables ten minutes before the end.
Carving the beef is really easy. Just work your knife around the bone- the meat will be so tender that it really will just pull away from the meat. Then place the meat on its side, upwards, and take your time to carve slices onto a plate.