Rosemary roast beef with cranberry glaze recipe

This rosemary roast beef with cranberry glaze makes a glorious Sunday lunch at any time of year, plus the cranberry gives it a festive touch.

If you've never roasted a beef joint before, this is a great place to start. It's easy and pretty foolproof, as long as you are accurate with your cooking times (see tip). The cranberry glaze gives a lovely sweet tang to the beef. We used topside for this roast. Beef is quite an expensive meat, but topside is usually the most affordable roasting joint. It's lean and delicious. Silverside has a stronger, beefier flavour and sirloin (the same as the one you sometimes get as steaks) is really tender and flavourful, with more marbling than topside. You can use a jar of cranberry sauce for this recipe, or make your own from scratch with this simple perfect cranberry sauce recipe.

Ingredients

• 1.3kg (3lb) lean topside, silverside or sirloin joint
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large sprigs freshly chopped rosemary

For the glaze:

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp cranberry or redcurrant sauce

For the gravy:

• 25g (1oz) plain flour
• 600ml (1pint) good, hot beef stock

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark 5). Place the joint on a chopping board and make several slashes over the surface. Season and rub the joint on both sides with the rosemary, pressing into the slits.
2. Place the joint on a metal rack in a large roasting tin and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any rich meat juices.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar and cranberry or redcurrant sauce. During the last 15 mins of cooking remove the joint from the oven and brush with the glaze. Return to the oven to finish cooking.
4. Transfer the cooked beef to a large plate or platter, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5-10 mins.
5. Meanwhile prepare the gravy; spoon off any excess oil from the tin, leaving about 30ml (2tbsp) of any rich juices. Place the roasting tin over a medium heat and sprinkle over the flour. Stir well with a small whisk or spoon, add a little stock and stir again, scraping the base of the pan to release any sediment.
6. Add the remaining stock, and any meat juices from the platter, adjust the seasoning if required and simmer for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally until reduced to a well-flavoured gravy. Strain before serving.
7. Serve the joint with roast potatoes, the gravy and seasonal vegetables.

Top tips for making rosemary roast beef with cranberry glaze

Look for beef with a dark red colour. Bright red meat, often found in supermarkets, indicates that it hasn't been hung for very long and won't be as tender. 

For topside allow 20 minutes per 500g plus 20 minutes (for rare), 30 minutes for well done. For other cuts, cooking time vary. See pack instructions or ask your butcher.

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