AUGUST 2016 MEN’S FITNESS 105BEEF UP YOUR KNOWLEDGE
SHUTTERSTOCK
One of the best parts of a roast is the
leftovers. Instead of just tearing into it
with your bare hands while standing in
front of your fridge wearing nothing but
your underpants, try these ideas.Roast beef sambo
Get some beef slices, bung them on
a fresh baguette spread with blue
cheese and top with roasted capsicum.
Or try roast beef slices on wheat bread,
topped with caramelised onions and
Swiss cheese, melted under the grill.
Or roast beef with pickles, barbecue
sauce and sliced onion on a wholemeal
bun. Leftover gravy also works a treat.LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Beef pie
Shred 500g meat. Chop potato, onion,
celery, carrot and mushrooms, and
soften in a pan with butter for 2-3
minutes. Add 3 tbsp plain flour and stir
for 30 seconds, then add 500ml beef
stock and stir. Next, stir in 1 tbsp gravy
powder, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce,
2 tbsp tomato paste, peas, fresh thyme
and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, then
simmer until sauce thickens. Remove
and cool for 30 minutes, then spoon
into a pie pot and top with a sheet of
puff pastry. Baste pastry with a beaten
egg. Cook in a 180 ̊ oven for 25-30
minutes or until pastry is golden brown.HOW LONG SHOULD
I COOK MY BEEF FOR?
The suggested
roasting times per
500g for rib eye/
scotch fillet, rump,
sirloin, fillet/
tenderloin, standing
rib roast, rolled rib
beef roast — all
cooked at 200°
— are: rare, 15-20
minutes; medium,
20-25 minutes; well
done, 25-30 minutes.WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE
A THERMOMETER?
You can also use
tongs to test the
roast’s doneness.
Gently prod or
squeeze the roast
— rare is very soft,
medium rare is soft,
medium is springy
but soft, medium
well is firm and well
done is very firm.SHOULD I REST
MY BEEF? WHY?
Once your cooking
time is done, rest
your meat by
loosely wrapping
it in foil andleaving it for around
20 minutes. This will
allow the fibres to
relax, releasing more
meat juices and
resulting in a tender
piece of meat.HOW DO I KNOW
WHEN IT’S DONE?
The best way to
judge your roast’s
degree of doneness
is by using a meat
thermometer.
The internal
temperature for
rare is 55-60°,
medium rare 60-
65°; medium 65-70°;
medium well 70-75°;
well done 75°.SHOULD I BASTE
MY BEEF?
Use the juices in
the roasting dish to
baste the roast as it
cooks. Two or three
times during the
cooking time is all
that is needed.
Add a little stock to
the roasting dish
if there’s only a
small amount of
es.BEEFY FAQs
BARMAID’S CHOICE
BEEF
- GRASS OR GRAIN FED?
In Australia, the majority
of beef, lamb and goat are
grass-fed. Livestock grazed
on grassy pastures absorb a
pigment from the grass called
carotene, which can result in
fat that has a yellowish tone.
Grass-fed meat has a more
complex flavour than grain-fed,
thanks to a varied pastoral
diet. Grain-fed beef tends to
have more marbling in the meat
than grass-fed beef resulting
in a more buttery flavour.- SIDES AHOY
A classic roast beef needs
classic sides. Go with roast
veg like potatoes, carrots,
beetroot, parsnip, turnip,
brussels sprouts and onion.
Get some green in there with
braised peas or beans. And,
of course, you can’t go past
a Yorkshire pudding. Top it
all off with condiments like
gravy, horseradish, mustard
and mushroom or red wine
sauce. Go-to herbs are
garlic, thyme and sage.- CARVE IT RIGHT
After resting your beef for
15 minutes, place the beef
on a board with a dampened
teatowel underneath it, to
stop the board from slipping.
Steady the beef with a carving
fork and begin to carve the
roast with a slicing (not
sawing) motion, using the full
length of the blade. Carve
across the grain of the beef at
a consistent angle. Transfer
slices to a warmed plate or
serving dish.Roast beef is made to match with
a full-bodied red Bordeaux or
a good Aussie Shiraz.
If you’re more of a beer man,
go for something bold and full-
bodied to match your meat, like
a brown ale or stout.