ROAST BEEF BOURGUIGNON
SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR 35 MINS + STANDING
✦ 20g dried porcini mushrooms ✦ ½ cup water, boiling ✦ 1kg piece beef rump cap ✦ 2 tbsp olive oil ✦ 800g baby carrots, trimmed, halved lengthways ✦ 12 pickling onions, peeled, halved ✦ 1 medium bulb garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled ✦ 200g mixed mushrooms ✦ ¼ cup tomato paste ✦ ½ cup red wine ✦ 1 cup beef stock ✦ 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Place porcini and the boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Stand to infuse.
2 Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, score beef fat crossways at 5mm intervals. Rub beef all over with oil and season generously. Heat a large flameproof roasting pan over high heat. Cook beef, fat-side down, 6 mins until browned. Cook beef, turning, a further 4 mins until browned on all sides.
3 Arrange carrots, onions and garlic in centre of same roasting pan. Top with beef, fat-side up. Roast 45 mins for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Transfer vegetables to a large plate. Squeeze garlic from skins and reserve separately. Transfer beef to a tray, then cover loosely with foil to stand.
4 Meanwhile, heat same roasting pan over high heat. Cook mixed mushrooms, stirring, 6 mins until golden. Season to taste, then transfer to plate with the other vegetables.
5 Reduce heat to medium. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 min. Add red wine. Stir to deglaze, then cook a further 1 min. Add rehydrated porcinis and strained soaking liquid, beef stock and thyme leaves. Bring to boil. Add garlic. Reduce heat to medium, then simmer 20 mins until sauce is reduced and thickened. Strain sauce into a jug, pressing on garlic and herbs to extract as much liquid as possible.
6 Serve sliced roast beef with mushrooms, carrots and onions, drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with extra thyme leaves, if you like.