Simon Hopkinson’s roast beef
Roast beef
A nice rolled rib of beef with the bones left in; ask the butcher to run a knife around the edges of the bones (to help with carving). A good layering of fat is essential and put plenty of salt and pepper on it before cooking.
Put about 200g of cheap stewing meat around the joint, to help with the gravy, bung it in a high oven – 220˚C/425˚F/gas mark 7 – for about 20 minutes, then turn it down to 180˚C/350˚F/gas mark 4 for about one hour (for a 2kg joint) for medium rare. If it’s medium rare, it’s better when it’s hot; if it’s rare, it’s much better cold. Resting is of the utmost importance; for beef to be perfectly carved and served, it has to be almost room temperature.
Cover loosely with foil (but not tightly or it will keep on cooking) and leave it at the back of the stove for as long as you like. When carving, I go along until I get to a bone, then take the bone out. I don’t like beef thickly sliced, but old-fashioned thin, like smoked salmon.
Gravy
Take the joint out, leaving those little chunks in. Tip off the excess fat for the potatoes and Yorkshires, stir in a little flour and beef stock or vegetable water, then leave to simmer for 40 minutes and strain. You’re basically making a small, thickened stock. I don’t put wine in the gravy – I like it tasting of meat.
Horseradish
Use at least half a root of fresh horseradish and grate it by an open window, so it blows the fumes away. Very few people know that the addition of sugar makes horseradish really hot as it does something to the enzymes – use a couple of teaspoons. Add cream, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt – it really doesn’t need pepper.
Roast potatoes
Desirees make the best roast potatoes. Simmer them in salted water, in not-too-big chunks (I’d get three pieces from a medium-sized potato). Cook them daringly, so they’re almost cooked through. If some pieces fall off, they’re always the best bits. Lift the potatoes into a colander with a slotted spoon, then shake them around.
There’s nothing better than beef dripping to cook them in and roasties do best in the bottom of the oven. Turn them over once the undersides are going nice and golden and put them back. Then, drain off all the fat – this way, they go really ‘rustly’.
Yorkshire puddings
Make up the batter first thing and get it out of the way, but cook them at the last minute, while the beef is resting. I use a 12-muffin, non-stick tray. Put a bit of fat in the bottom of each one; you must get the fat really hot. Use a jug and don’t overfill. When everything’s done, whack the oven up to 220˚C/425˚F/gas mark 7 and leave the potatoes in the bottom while the Yorkshires are cooking (at the top).
Vegetables
As a child, we used to have a lot of mashed carrot or swede. I love those two; just boil in salted water, drain well (swede throws out a lot of water) and mash with lots of butter and pepper.
Credit: Alamy DXG4KX
How to carve meat: A guide from the Master Carver at Simpson's on the Strand
Manzil Diniz has been the official 'Master Carver' at Simpson's on the Strand for 15 years. He shared his top three
How to butcher a cow [VIDEO]
A cut above the rest: John Goodall discovers how to prepare good meat.
A luxury queen of puddings, perfect for Easter lunch
Add a little eggs-travagance to the table this Easter Sunday.
Maple roast chicken with orange mash
This bronzed, sweet and sticky chicken is perfect for a summery, Sunday lunch
-
The greatest moment in the life of Jessie Owens: Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 13, 2025Breathtaking athleticism and Shakespeare's birthday are among the questions in the final quiz of the week.
-
Merlins: Britain's smallest bird of prey is a 'swerving, zigzagging, 240mph weighted missile' that's gutsy enough to chase off a golden eagleSize doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots.
-
How to make Eton mess strawberry blondiesOur kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson shares a mouthwatering recipe bringing together two of the greatest foodstuffs on the planet: strawberries and meringue.
-
The era of the £50 burger and chips is here — and it's a revelationThe second coming of the high-low restaurant — where chefs pair martinis with burgers — is here. Will Hosie tells more.
-
The imperfect science of the perfect martini and where you can get one in LondonDirty, dry, with fries, gin or vodka. There's a lot to think about for such a simple cocktail.
-
All hail fish and chips: Our guide to the nation’s favourite dish, done rightOur writers share their top picks of where to go for the best of the best, this National Fish & Chip Day.
-
Gill Meller's strawberry, lemon and elderflower meringueGill Meller's strawberry and elderflower meringue is basically summer on a plate.
-
Gill Meller's recipe for a herb-filled tart that makes the most of Spring produceMake the most of the last few days of May and Spring's bumper crop of ingredients with this herby spring tart recipe.
-
'Here in the South West, we value our seafood. We celebrate it': Mitch Tonks on his new Salcombe restaurant and the state of our fishing industryOliver Berry catches up with the celebrated seafood chef to discuss the opening of his new restaurant in Salcombe, the challenges of converting an old boatshed, and why he thinks his online fishmonger and cannery business might be the future.
-
The prawn identity: Tom Parker Bowles on his love of the classic prawn cocktailIt’s as retro as a pair of corduroy flares, but the classic dish is a lily that needs no gilding, says our columnist.
