Beef Cooking Time
Cooking a perfect roast is easy and one of the simplest meals to make for a beginner. Before you start make sure you find out the length of time it is going to need to be in the oven for the way you like it cooked, i.e. rare, medium or well-done, also take into account that the meat will need time to rest, so factor this into the total beef cooking time.
A roast dinner is a good meal for all the family to sit down to. You Can serve various vegetables with the roast, such as roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cabbage and peas. These are some of the more traditional vegetables to serve but you can cook whichever ones you prefer, or that are in season. If cooking roast potatoes, you can cook these in the same tin as the beef after you have taken the beef out and while you are allowing it to rest. You should realise that the overall beef cooking time should account for this, as you need to ensure that everything is ready at the same time so nothing has the chance to get cold.
If you choose to make the gravy in the same tin as the beef you can incorporate some of the more chunky vegetables in the tin while the beef is cooking. These vegetables will roast at the same time and when they are done you can take the beef and the vegetables out and put the tin on top of the oven to prepare the gravy. You can add some stock and stir in some flour to thicken it.
Perhaps you are going to hold a Dinner Party and have chosen to serve beef but are nervous about cooking it and getting everything right? You will need to adjust the times to account for the size of the joint you are going to roast but a rough guide is to turn the oven up full for the first twenty minutes and then reduce the temperature to about 190 degrees Celsius. Your beef cooking time will then depend on how you, and your guests, prefer it to be cooked. If you prefer it rare but some of your guests would rather it well-done you can slice some of the meat off and return the joint to the oven for an extra fifteen minutes so that everyone gets it done to their preference. You can keep the pieces you have cut off warm by placing it under some loosely fitting tin foil.
After you have worked out the beef cooking time, allowed it to rest and have prepared all of the vegetables and accompanying sauces you will need to carve it. Use a sharp knife and with the other hand keep the joint still by skewering it with a fork. Cut across the grain of the meat and you will ensure that each slice is neat and consistent and will prevent any juices from being squeezed out of the meat.
