Roast Sirloin of Beef with Red Wine Gravy

1. Remove the beef from the fridge and unwrap it from the packaging. Pat it dry and leave it to come to room temperature for 1 hr before you want to put it in the oven.

2. Preheat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Place the beef in a snug roasting tin. Drizzle over 1 tbsp oil and dust with salt and pepper. Tuck the bouquet garni and whole, unpeeled garlic cloves under the beef. Drop in the whole, unpeeled shallots. Slide the tin into the oven and roast for 20 mins.

3. After 20 mins, turn the heat down to 180°C/ Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Cook the beef for 60 mins. This will give you beef that’s cooked rare. Roast for 100 mins for medium, or 125 mins for well-done.

4. When the beef is ready, lift it from the roasting tin and place on a warm plate or board, leaving the bouquet garni, shallots and garlic in the tin. Loosely cover the beef with foil and leave to rest for 1 hr. The beef will keep cooking while it rests, so it will become less rare.

5. Remove the bouquet garni, shallots and garlic from the tin. Squash the shallots and garlic with the back of a fork to squeeze them from their papery skins. Fill and boil your kettle. Pour 1 ltr hot water into a large heatproof jug. Crumble in 1 vegetable stock cube and stir to dissolve it.

6. Place the roasting tin on a high heat and pour in the red wine. Bring up to a bubble, then cook for 5 mins. Pour in the stock and any juices from the plate the beef is resting on. Add the crushed shallots, garlic and the bouquet garni. Simmer for 15 mins. The liquid should reduce a little.

7. Pour the gravy through a heatproof sieve into a jug. You should have around 900ml. Top up with a little water, if necessary. Pour the stock into a clean pan, leaving about 100ml in the jug. Stir the cornflour into the jug to combine it, then pour that into the gravy in the pan. Cover and cook on a low heat for 10-15 mins till it has thickened. Taste. Add salt and pepper, if you think it needs it.

8. Reheat the gravy 5 mins before you want to serve the beef. Pour it into a warm jug. Thinly slice the beef and serve with the red wine gravy.

9. Check The Temperature
If you have a meat thermometer, you can check the internal temperature of the beef once it’s roasted. Take the joint out of the oven and push the probe into the middle of the beef. Leave for 20 seconds, then check the temperature. Rare beef should be 50°C, medium should be 60°C, while well-done will be 70°C.

10. Great Gravy
The red wine gravy to go with this dish should be thin and pourable. If you prefer a thicker gravy, mash 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp flour and slowly crumble this into the simmering pan of gravy, stirring well between each addition. When you get the thickness you want, stop adding the butter and flour m

11. Love Your Leftovers
Any leftover roast beef will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days. Perfect for sandwiches or turn it into a spicy Thai salad. Slice the beef into thin strips and toss with a dressing of Worcester sauce, lime juice, a pinch of sugar and a good pinch of dried chilli flakes. Tumble with fresh mint and coriander leaves, finely sliced shallots and torn lettuce leaves.