How to cook Adam Liaw’s classic roast beef and gravy (and don’t forget the Yorkies)

Name: How to cook Adam Liaw’s classic roast beef and gravy (and don’t forget the Yorkies)
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 6-10
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: 1.5kg beef rump or topside roast; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 3 brown onions, peeled and thickly sliced; 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled but bruised; 10 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped; 2 bay leaves; a handful of curly parsley with stalks torn and leaves finely shredded; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve; 25g butter, melted; 4 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp instant gravy powder; 125ml red wine; 500ml beef stock (approx.); 3 cups frozen peas, cooked, to serve; horseradish cream, to serve

Adam Liaw

May 14, 2024

Classic roast beef and gravy.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:6-10

The Sunday roast has long been a tradition in Australia. It’s one we imported from England, but for those of us of a certain vintage it was as much a part of Australian life as cricket in the summer and seagulls stealing your chips at the beach. I grew up with roasts – perhaps not every Sunday, but regularly enough that Yorkies and gravy are a strong childhood memory for me. For this recipe, rump, blade and topside are affordable cuts and 150-200 grams of meat per person is plenty.

Ingredients

1.5kg beef rump or topside roast
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 brown onions, peeled and thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled but bruised
10 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
2 bay leaves
a handful of curly parsley with stalks torn and leaves finely shredded
2 tbsp Dijon mustard, plus extra to serve
25g butter, melted
4 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp instant gravy powder
125ml red wine
500ml beef stock (approx.)
3 cups frozen peas, cooked, to serve
horseradish cream, to serve

Method

Step 1
Heat your oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Place a heavy roasting tray over two burners on medium heat. Season the beef and add the vegetable oil to the tray. Brown the beef well on all sides. Remove from the heat, add the onions and garlic to the roasting tray with 1 cup of water. Put the thyme, bay leaves and parsley stalks on top of the onions and garlic and place the beef on top of the herbs. Brush the beef all over with mustard.
Step 2
Place the beef in the oven and roast for 20 minutes per 500g for medium-rare. Remove the beef to a warm plate to rest, brush with melted butter and scatter with the shredded parsley leaves.
Step 3
Drain all but about 4 tablespoons of fat from the roasting tray and position it over two burners on your stovetop at medium heat. Squeeze the garlic into the pan then add the flour and stir for about 2-3 minutes, until the fat-flour mixture is well browned. Add the gravy powder, then the wine, and stir until absorbed. Stir in the stock and any resting juices from the beef a little at a time adding a little stock or water if the gravy looks too thick. Taste and adjust seasoning, then strain the gravy into a gravy boat.
Step 4
After the meat has rested, slice and serve with the gravy, peas, and horseradish cream and mustard.