RIB OF BEEF WITH GOCHUJANG SPROUTS

The way I roast this is to season it thoroughly for a few hours, or even better,

the night before, then roast at a low heat in the

oven. Once the meat is medium-rare – a digital

thermometer comes in handy here – I transfer it to a very hot pan and sear it on all sides, to provide

the browned crust that everyone loves so much.

This technique is called reverse searing, with the advantage that the meat is almost entirely mediumrare, without a band of well-cooked and medium meat around the outside. (If you actually prefer it this way, sear the beef

first, then roast at 220C/200C fan/Gas 7 for 12-15 minutes. Rest before

serving). This exciting roast merits an exciting

side vegetable, so I suggest adorning Brussels sprouts with a savoury

butter. If you haven’t encountered gochujang, you are missing out: it is a

sweet-sour-smoky chilli paste from Korea, which lifts everything it touches.

Marmite makes a surprising, and tasty,

alternative.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOKING TIME:

1 hour 5 minutes

Serves two

INGREDIENTS

For the rib of beef

A single rib of beef on the bone (700-900g)

1 tbsp oil A generous knob of butter

For the gochujang sprouts

20g butter

2 tsp gochujang paste, or

½ tsp Marmite 150-200g Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed

2 tbsp oil

METHOD

In advance, dry the beef with kitchen paper towels and season generously all over with flaky salt and

freshly ground black pepper. Put on a rack set over a rimmed baking tray or sheet, and refrigerate uncovered. About two

hours before cooking, remove from the fridge. Put in a very low oven

(still on the rack) at 120C/100C fan/lowest gas

mark (yes, this is very low). Cook for about one hour until the centre of

the meat is cooked to medium-rare: a digital thermometer inserted through the side of the

roast into the centre should read 57C (60-65C

for medium). For the gochujang sprouts, fork together

the butter with the gochujang and taste for

seasoning. Halve the sprouts down the centre

and fit as many as you can, flat-side down, in a large frying pan. Drizzle

over the oil and heat till sizzling, then clap on the

lid and cook until the underneath of the sprouts has started to brown –

about five minutes. Remove the lid, move the

sprouts about (without turning them over) and

cook for a further 10-15 minutes until tender all the way through. Mix in the flavoured butter

and serve hot.

As the beef comes out of the oven, heat the oil in a frying pan until beginning

to smoke. Add the beef and butter and brown the meat quickly on all sides.

Because the meat has been roasted so slowly, it

does not need to be rested, so can be sliced and served immediately.