How to make perfect roast beef with all the trimmings, by Simon Hopkinson
'It has to be roast beef with Yorkshire puddings and homemade horseradish – I don’t think I could eat roast beef without it. Any leftover meat is almost as nice as having the roast itself'


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’.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
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
-
A spectacular tower for sale that's a blend of Victorian folly, architectural marvel and 21st century family home
Hadlow Tower has space, and a back story of love, jealousy and intrigue.
-
Some Like (to quiz when) It Hot: Country Life Quiz of the Day heatwave special, July 11, 2025
If you're struggling to keep cool — and who isn't? — our Quiz of the Day will at least take your mind off the soaring temperatures.
-
Brat behaviour: The chef behind Shoreditch institution Brat and Soho favourite Mountain is running away to Wales
Disclaimer: For one weekend only.
-
How to make The Connaught Bar's legendary martini — and a few others
It's the weekend which means it's time to kick back and make yourself an ice cold martini — courtesy of The Connaught Bar.
-
Gill Meller's tomato, egg, bread and herb big-hearted summer salad
This summer salad is for people who enjoy proper seasonal produce.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Why clinking glasses and saying ‘Cheers!’ is a tiny bit embarrassing
Sophia Money-Coutts is the new Debrett's and she's here every Wednesday to set some modern etiquette wrongs, right.
-
What do an order of Catholic priests and actor Hugh Bonneville have in common? They helped this West Sussex sparkling wine triumph over multiple French Champagne houses
After being approached by a group of Catholic priests in 2006 to plant a vineyard, the power of the divine, and climate change, was on the winemaker Dermot Sugrue’s side.
-
11 golden rules for making a perfect cup of tea
We drink tea every day, but are we doing it correctly? Who decided on the rules and do they really matter? Jonathon Jones reveals all.
-
How to make Eton mess strawberry blondies
Our 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 revelation
The second coming of the high-low restaurant — where chefs pair martinis with burgers — is here. Will Hosie tells more.