JP Food: Perfect roast beef & crunchy roast potatoes

From Tallaght, John Paul Kennedy is a self-taught cook with a passion for good old-fashioned home cooking.

I don’t think there is a more delicious and inviting smell than a sirloin of beef roasting in the oven.

For me it invokes memories of my childhood Sunday’s!

When cooked well this is a very special meal, one that’s quick and easy to make but also one you can take your time preparing on a lazy Sunday.

Served with my perfect crunchy roast potatoes and your favourite Sunday roast accompaniments, makes for the perfect Sunday supper!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

1.5-1.7kg Sirloin of Beef

5 shallots- chopped in half

2 carrots- roughly chopped

2 sticks of celery – roughly chopped

Sprig of fresh thyme

Sprig of fresh Rosemary

Rapeseed oil

Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

Crunchy Roast Potatoes:

8-10 medium potatoes peeled and cut evenly

6 tablespoons of vegetable

2 tablespoons of dried polenta

Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

1 Sprig of rosemary- chopped

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees.
2. Place the beat and chopped veg. Oil and herbs in a roasting tin. Place into the pre-heated hot oven, cook for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 160 degrees and cook for another hour – this will give perfect medium cooked beef. If you like it rare, reduce cooking time by 10 minutes, if you want it well done increase by another ten minutes. Cover in foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Pour oil into the base of a roasting and place into the oven.
4. Steam your potatoes 8- 10 minutes. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of polenta then place the potatoes into hot oil in the roasting tin. These should sizzle. Sprinkle over the remaining polenta and season well and add the chopped rosemary. Cook for 45 -50 minutes turning halfway through the cooking time.
5. Serve with slices of the delicious tender sirloin of beef. Make sure to use the juices from the beef pan in your gravy for extra deliciousness.
6. Serve with your favourite veg accompaniments and enjoy.

My brother Barry is a beef fanatic. He jokes it would be his final meal if on death row!

He was home from London last weekend and this is what I made for the Sunday roast.

I was reminded it had been a while since I last made roast beef for Sunday supper, but I was also quickly reminded by the delicious smells enveloping the house, how much I had missed making it.