Murray, from East Tamaki Heights...
Mouth-Watering Roast Beef Dinner
Sumptuous, ever popular, easy to prepare, Kiwi dinner.
Every Sunday at midday in the 1960-1970s, we arrived home to Three Kings, often after a mile walk to and from Mt Eden, to have the gorgeous aroma of a roast beef platter filling the whole house. Other meals paled into insignificance alongside this favourite, especially when smothered in rich home-made beef gravy and supplemented with a mother's love.
Have a salad all week, then indulge and extend the belt. (Follow the roast with the whole party running on the spot, outdoors, for 10 minutes before dessert.)
The children might say they like pizzas occasionally but roasts are always a winner. Italian herbs and peppercorns make it for me.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg beef roast (topside)
- 4 large potatoes peeled and quartered
- 4 red kumaras peeled and halved
- 1 cup of sweet tender minted peas
- 4 large onions (outer skin only peeled, left whole)
- a large handful of green runner beans (stripped and halved)
- 1/2 large pumpkin (scrubbed, washed, halved, outer skin left on)
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 1 tb beef gravy mix
- 1/4 glass Corbans red wine (Merlot)
- 1 tb soya sauce
- 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns (grind them yourself)
- 4 sprigs of mint leaves (from garden)
- 1 tb flour
- 1/4 cup black olives
- fresh parsley
Directions
- Marinate beef roast overnight in a sealed bag with red wine,1 tb olive oil, soya sauce and sprinkle in Italian herbs and 2 whole mint leaves.
- Heat oven to 180C. Cook beef roast in long wide non-stick tray for 1.5 hours at 180C. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt over top.
- Add potatoes, kumaras and pumpkin to roasting pan after 1 hour and cook them for 45 mins. Cover vegetables in oils in pan at start and turn vegetables after 20 minutes.
- Press meat with tongs to determine spring (for medium or well-done) but your eyes and nose are good indicators too. Let meat rest for 15 minutes after cooking before carving and serving.
- During meat waiting time, prepare the beef gravy. Drain 2tb of beef oil from the roasting pan and return vegetables to oven. Mix 1 tb gravy mix in a bowl with the beef oil. Add 1 tb of flour and mix into a gooey paste. Add boiling water gradually, while stirring, until the right amount and texture is reached. (About 1/2 - 3/4 cup of gravy.)
- Boil the frozen peas and 2 mint sprigs in a small amount of boiling water for only 2 minutes while the meat is being carved (or after.)
- Grace the beef roast with fresh parsley. Serve with gravy mix, vegetables and red wine.
- Feast and enjoy.
| Serves | Cooking Time | Prep Time |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 hours | 30 minutes |
Brought to you by
