Spice Crusted Roast Beef

Roast beef makes a truly wonderful Sunday roast. There are several different joints you can get and it all depends on your taste or, more importantly, your budget. Ask your local butcher for advice on this and please remember that more expensive doesn't necessarily mean more flavoursome.

This is a lovely way to bring a little heat to roast beef. Your lips will be tingling after it; the crust also protects the meat from drying out. Home-made Yorkshire puddings are great with this.

FEEDS 4-6

Ingredients

1.5kg roasting joint (of your choice)

1 small onion

1 carrot

2 sticks of celery

Small bunch of rosemary

Small bunch of thyme

1 bulb of garlic

Olive oil

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

1 tablespoon cloves

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

Method

• Take the beef joint out of the fridge about half an hour before you plan to start cooking to bring it up to room temperature.

• Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature (usually around 250ºC).

• Chop the vegetables roughly – no need to peel them as they are for flavour only. Toss them into a suitable-sized roasting tray along with the herbs and the garlic separated into cloves. Drizzle with oil.

• Drizzle oil over the roasting joint and rub it all over.

• In a pestle and mortar crush the salt, peppercorns, caraway seeds and cloves together and pour the mixture out onto a plate. Roll the beef in the spices coating it all over evenly and then seal the joint all over in a hot pan. Place it on top of the prepared vegetables in the roasting tray.

• With the pan still on the heat, pour in the red wine vinegar and honey. Stir around to incorporate any tasty bits stuck to the pan and boil until reduced by half. Pour the reduction over the beef in the roasting tray.

• Place the tray in the hot oven and turn the heat down to 200ºC. Roast for 1 hour for medium beef. If you prefer it a little rarer or a little more well done give or take 10–15 minutes accordingly. Take it out of the oven halfway through the cooking time and baste it with the juices in the tray.

• When it is cooked to your liking, remove from the roasting tray and place on a clean chopping board, cover with tinfoil and a clean tea towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

• Remove the string and with a long, sharp carving knife cut in thin, clean slices, holding it in place with a fork. Serve with your favourite side dishes.