Peppered Beef With Spring Rice Salad

A great roast using sirloin or topside marinated in garlic, crushed peppercorns and balsamic vinegar for a lighter Sunday lunch.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Serves: 6 people

To Cook Rare: 20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes

To Cook Medium: 25 minutes per 450g plus 25 minutes

To Cook Well Done: 30 minutes per 450g plus 30 minutes

Average Cooking Time for 3lb: 0 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1.3kg lean sirloin, or topside joint
  • 1 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon mixed peppercorns, crushed
  • 50ml good quality balsamic vinegar

  • For the Spring Rice Salad:

  • 150g long-grain rice
  • 300g whole asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • ½ cucumber, diced

  • For the Honey and Mustard Dressing:

  • 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon runny honey
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil
  • ½ x 15g pack freshly chopped dill
  • Fresh dill leaves, to garnish

Method

  1. Place the garlic, peppercorns, salt and vinegar in a large non-metallic shallow dish and mix well.
  2. Add the beef to the marinade mixture and coat well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180-190°C, 160-170°C Fan, Gas Mark 4-5.
  4. Remove the joint from the marinade and transfer to a metal rack in a large non-stick roasting tin and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any meat juices. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
  5. Remove the joint from the tin and transfer to a warm platter. Cover and set aside to rest for 15-20 minutes.
  6. Carve the joint and serve with a spring rice salad.
  7. For the spring rice salad, cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain thoroughly, transfer to a large bowl, fluff up with a fork and set aside to cool slightly.
  8. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes, drain and refresh with cold water. Mix the asparagus, spring onion and cucumber with the rice.
  9. For the honey and mustard dressing, place all the ingredients apart from the fresh dill leaves in a screw-topped jar, cover and shake well. Pour over the salad, mix well, garnish with the dill leaves and serve with the peppered beef.