Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Spinach, Sorrel and Truss Cherry Tomato Salad

Method

The first thing to note before starting this dish is that you need a good oven that can retain an average temperature of 50 degrees Centigrade. Also, an oven thermometer is vital to ensure that the oven is the correct temperature. My experience is never to trust the scale on an oven temperature adjuster. Set the oven temperature to 50 deg C (112 deg F).

Ensure the beef has had chance to come to room temperature; out of the fridge for about 2-3 hours. Take the three boned rib of beef, rinse the outside with cold water then dab dry with kitchen paper. Put a heavy based frying pan on high heat, heat until the pan is very hot and then add 3 tbsp of the grapeseed oil – the oil should be smoking once added. Now quickly sear the outside of the beef until browned. Take care as this spits like there’s no tomorrow. Also take care not to start cooking the flesh of the meat – it just needs browning.

Once browned put the beef in a roasting tray and then pop it in to the preheated oven. It takes about 4-6 hours for the centre of the meat to reach 50 deg C. Cook then for a further 18 hours. Get some sleep.

After the 18 hours are up, take the beef out. The outside will look dry and unappetising, but the inside will be beautifully medium rare and full of moisture. Put the meat on a rack over a drip tray, cover with foil and leave to rest for about 4 hours. Once rested, cut the meat from the bone, cutting down along the ribs and then across the chine (backbone). Carefully trim away the dry outer of the meat and then cut the meat into three equally thick steaks. Set aside and put your heavy based frying pan on high heat again.

For the salad pre-heat your oven to 210 deg C. To a roasting tray add the cherry tomatoes, on the vine if yours have a vine, sprinkle with the sea salt and then drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to ensure the tomatoes are completed coated with oil. Put in the oven for about 20 minutes. They will eventually sizzle and spit as they soften and their skins split. After 20 minutes, or when you feel they are done, take out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

For the salt and pepper mix add the salt(s) and peppercorns to a mortar and grind with a pestle. The back pepper should still be a little course. Sprinkle each steak (both sides) with the pepper mix, add the rest of the grapeseed oil to the hot pan and when smoking put the steaks in the pan. Cook for 30 seconds, and then turn. Repeat this until the steaks have been cooking for 4 minutes (I then put the steaks on their edge to render any fat – for about 20 seconds). Remove the steaks from the pan, cover with foil and leave to rest on a rack with drip tray, for about 5 minutes.

To finish the salad, add the washed and dried spinach leaves to a bowl. Stack the sorrel leaves, roll the stack lengthways and then shred across the width – this technique is known as chiffonade. Add the shredded sorrel to the spinach, then pick the vines from the tomatoes and add the tomatoes to the salad. Drizzle balsamic over the salad, and then get your hands in there to coat the leaves with the juices of the tomatoes and the balsamic – it’s good to squash those tomatoes gently.

Finally drain any oil from the steak pan, put back on a medium heat and add the butter. Whisk the butter until it has melted and has turned a lovely nutty brown colour.

Serve the steak and salad in your own creative way, and spoon that unctuous nutty brown butter over the steak. Bon appetite!