Basic roast beef and vegetables

Preparation Time 20 minutes
Cooking Time 90 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
* 2 tbs butter, at room temperature
* 6 tsp olive oil
* 1 2kg beef scotch fillet (rib eye) roast
* Salt & freshly ground black pepper
* 1.5kg (about 10) sebago (brushed) potatoes, peeled, halved lengthways, patted dry with paper towel
* 2 bunches Dutch (baby) carrots, trimmed to 1cm, washed, scrubbed, patted dry with paper towel
* 1 tbs plain flour
* 375ml (1 1/2 cups) beef stock
* Steamed spinach or green beans, to serve


Method
1. When purchasing beef to roast, look for a fairly even-sized piece. You want a piece that has a little bit of marbling throughout and fat on the top. The marbling will help keep the beef moist and tender during cooking while a thin layer of fat on top will help protect the beef from drying out. There are plenty of beef cuts which are suitable to roast (see right). Preheat oven to 220°C. Heat 2 tsp of the butter and 2 tsp oil in a large shallow flameproof roasting pan over high heat. Cook the roast, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until well browned. (If you don't have a flameproof roasting pan, you can use a frying pan to brown the beef and then transfer to a roasting pan.)
2. Remove roasting pan from heat and season beef all over with salt and pepper. (The beef is seasoned after browning because salting may draw the moisture out of the beef, making it tough.) Place the potatoes, 3 tsp of the remaining butter and 1 tsp of the remaining oil in a bowl. Use your hands to rub the butter and oil evenly over the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer around the beef.
3. Cook beef and potatoes in preheated oven, basting beef with the pan juices once during cooking to keep it moist, for 30 minutes.
4. Place remaining oil and butter in another roasting pan. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until butter melts. Add carrots and toss to coat well. Turn potatoes and baste beef. Add carrots to oven and cook, shaking pan occasionally, for 25 minutes until beef is medium or until cooked to your liking.
5. Transfer beef to a carving tray and cover loosely with foil. Set aside for 15 minutes to rest. It is important to rest before serving as it allows juices and heat to redistribute. While beef is resting, transfer potatoes to a tray lined with baking paper. Increase oven temperature to 250°C. Return potatoes to oven and continue to cook while beef is resting. To make gravy, strain pan juices from the roasting pan into a heatproof jug. Return 2 tbs of pan juices to the roasting pan (alternatively, if you don?t have a flameproof roasting pan, transfer to a saucepan) and heat over high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until mixture bubbles.
6. Gradually add the stock and cook, scraping the pan with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon to dislodge any bits cooked onto the base of the pan. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until the gravy reduces and thickens slightly. Strain gravy into a warmed serving jug.
7. Carve the beef across the grain and serve with the gravy, roast potatoes, roast carrots and steamed spinach or beans.

Notes & tips
* Other beef cuts suitable to roast:
* Eye fillet and butt fillet: Brown beef in a little olive oil in a flameproof roasting pan (or in a frying pan and transfer to a roasting pan once sealed) over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, for 5-8 minutes or until well sealed. Roast in an oven preheated to 220°C following cooking times below. Set aside, covered loosely with foil, for 10-15 minutes before carving.
* Per 500g: Rare - 10-15 mins Medium - 15-20 mins Well-done - 25-30 mins
* Bolar blade, rump, sirloin, standing rib roast, silverside, topside and round: Cook in an oven preheated to 220°C for 15 minutes and then reduce temperature to 180°C and follow cooking times below. Set aside, covered loosely with foil, for 10-15 minutes before carving.
* Per 500g: Rare - 10-15 mins Medium - 15-20 mins Well-done - 20-25 mins
* To use these cuts in the basic recipe, reduce the butter tossed with the potatoes in step 2 to 1 tsp. Add the potatoes to roasting pan after reducing the oven temperature to 180°C. Add the carrots and roast for 40 minutes. Continue basic recipe from basting the beef in step 2.
* gravy variations:
* orange & mustard gravy: Replace half the stock with freshly squeezed orange juice. Add 1 tbs wholegrain mustard with the orange juice and stock in step 3. Stir in 1 tsp brown sugar just before serving.
* peppercorn gravy: In step 3, replace the flour with 1 tbs crushed black peppercorns. Cook in the roasting pan over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Reduce the stock to 185ml (3/4 cup). Add 185ml (3/4 cup) thin cream to the pan with the stock.
* red wine & mushroom gravy: Add 150g sliced mixed mushrooms (like Swiss brown, oyster and shiitake) to the roasting pan in step 3 before adding the flour. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until soft. Replace half the stock with dry red wine.
* red wine & rosemary gravy: Add 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary leaves to the roasting pan in step 3 before adding the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Replace half the stock with dry red wine.

Source
Australian Good Taste - Page 82
Recipe by Alison Roberts