Sounds great, no? It absolutely is, but only if you know how. Notoriously, this cut of meat can be tough, so it is imperative that you know how to cook beef topside before you get started. Happily, the internet abounds with advice and topside beef recipe ideas, and, even better, we’ve sifted through them to bring you the recipes that we really rate.
Here’s how to cook topside beef so it's tender.
Roast Beef with Potatoes and Veggies
Jamie Oliver
We have always loved Jamie’s palpably enthused and absolutely no-nonsense approach to cooking. Having grown up in a pub in Essex, he cut his culinary teeth on traditional roasts; we would, therefore, trust him with our topside any day of the week. He promises that this is ‘a simple way to roast topside of beef to ensure it's super succulent, every time’, which – frankly – is exactly what we want to hear before tackling this cut.
Do note that he advises removing the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. After that, it can simply sit on top of the herbs and unpeeled vegetables. To achieve medium-cooked beef, remove it from the oven after an hour (subtracting or adding time if you prefer yours rare or well done) – and do remember to baste it halfway through. Simple and sublime. Jamie says it will be perfect, and we believe him – after all, there’s no arguing with such a tried-and-tested classic. Find the recipe here.
Thai Beef Salad Recipes
The Conscious Farmer
If there’s anyone who really knows their beef, it's a grass-fed beef farmer. This family of conscious farmers – Derek and Kirrily Blomfield, with their boys Patrick and Reilly – operate from their farm in New South Wales while also running a blog. They say, ‘We’re passionate about healthy eating and strive to provide your family and our family with the most nutritious, chemical-free beef possible. Grass-fed, chemical-free beef is a nourishing choice. It has a healthier profile of fats and is rich in antioxidants & trace minerals.
We’re also passionate about the land, the soil and biodiversity. We care for these so future generations of Australians can enjoy it as much as we do.’ We love their ethical credentials – and we also love their ideas for what to cook with their high welfare produce. If you’re looking for the best way to cook topside beef but want to go for something a little unusual, why not try this tasty Thai Beef Salad? Flavoursome and delicious, the zingy mint leaves and coriander really lift the whole affair, while the toasted peanuts balance with some well-placed crunch. Gorgeous. Find the recipe here.
Roast Topside Beef With A Paprika and Thyme Crust
Sainsburys
Are we alone in being hoarders of supermarket recipe cards? This one, had we found it while exiting from our weekly shop, would certainly have made its way into one of our shopping bags. For anyone searching for a topside beef recipe that nods towards the traditional but also delivers a spectacular flavour punch by way of some more innovative additions, this recipe could be the one.
On the one hand, this is simple roast beef with potatoes; on the other, it features a delicious paprika and herb crust mixed in with breadcrumbs and secured on the top of the cut with tomato puree. We love it for the sweet smokiness and the fact that, while it looks impressive, all the work is done at the beginning, after which you simply pop it in the oven for an hour and 45 minutes, while you enjoy a nice glass of red wine in hungry anticipation. Perfection. Find the recipe here.
Roast Topside Beef With Roasties and Gravy
Delicious Magazine
Sometimes, however, a good traditional formula isn’t worth messing with. Happily, this inexpensive recipe will feed a crowd – and wow them too. That’s thanks to the simple rub – consisting of just mustard powder, brown sugar and sea salt – which imbues the whole recipe with a gorgeous, balanced flavour. This recipe’s second secret lies in the all-important gravy; as it suggests, do ensure that you use Madeira, port or red wine, as well as good beef stock, plain flour and some dripping. The best comfort food for a rainy Sunday lunchtime. Find the recipe here.
Braised Top Side Recipe
Tesco
Anyone who has ever tasted slow-cooked beef will know that the resultant tenderness of the meat is second to none. This method may take three hours and ten minutes, but it is more than worth it – especially since topside beef can often run the risk of being tough, a danger entirely averted with this dazzlingly melt-in-the-mouth way of making it. We like this recipe a lot, especially served up with equally warming root veggies and in a fragrant broth on a blustery night. Other than your meat and veg, all you’ll need is olive oil, shallots, carrots, parsnips, red wine, beef stock, thyme and tomato purée. Season well, and then boil the meat, first in the wine and then in the stock – et voila, you have meat so tender it will be falling off the bone. Find the recipe here.
Slow Cooking Roast Beef Topside
Super Golden Bakes
Super Golden Bakes is the website of Lucy Parissi, a London-based blogger and photographer with an abiding love of food. Having grown up in Athens, she had an early training in the importance of fresh, seasonal ingredients, having been taken on daily trips to food markets as a child. When she moved to London, her eyes were opened to a greater variety of cuisines, and she hasn’t stopped experimenting since. In this recipe, she explores the English classic: slow-cooker roast beef. As she says, it feeds a crowd, it’s gluten-free, and it’s diet-friendly. Plus, you only need to prepare your meat and veg, then just leave it in the slow cooker for hours; upon your return, you’ll have a fully formed feast. Find the recipe here.
Braised Beef Cooked In Red Wine With Herbs And Vegetables
BBC
If you’re looking for an Italian twist on how to cook topside beef, there is no duo we’d trust more with our meat than Gennaro Contaldo and the late Antonio Carluccio. This BBC recipe originally featured in the pair’s Two Greedy Italians book, and judging by how delicious it is, we’d wager they’re not the only ones who’d be liable to gobble up this feast gluttonously. Tender and lean, this dish requires marinating overnight. But if you have the time, it is absolutely worth it. Simply serve with veg and then sit back and delight in guests’ lavish compliments. Find the recipe here.
One-Pan Spanish Beef With Vegetable Purée Recipe
All Recipes
From slow cookers to pressure cookers: if you have the latter in your arsenal of kitchen kit, this Spanish topside beef recipe is an absolute winner. The current thinking tells us that the healthiest way to eat is to pack in as many vegs as possible, with variety being key. This recipe calls for you to blend a good mix of veg – along with olive oil and a glass of brandy – which will then serve as a sauce for your pressure-cooked and extremely tender meat. Healthy, tasty and comforting: we’re sold. Find the recipe here.
Pot Roast Beef Topside With Juniper Berries And Wild Mushrooms
Great British Chefs
Ren Behan is the great British chef behind this excellent beef topside recipe. Described here as ‘one of the ultimate comfort food dishes for winter, with the cosy scent of juniper permeating the wonderful sauce.’ The classic base for the dish is formed of onions, carrots, celery and garlic, while juniper berries, bay leaves and fresh thyme inject a hearty helping of seductive aromatics.
Particularly delicious when served with mash – whether of the traditional potato or celeriac variety – it could not be more perfect for a cold winter night in – especially when served with a nice robust glass of red wine. As they advise, ‘try and select a piece with a reasonable layer of fat on the top, which will help keep the beef from drying out during cooking.’ For that and more tips, find the recipe here.
Mexican Carne Adovada
All Recipes
If, rather than the classic British roast beef recipe, you’re looking for something more evocative of far-flung idylls, allow us to transport your taste buds to the sultrier climes of Mexico. This beautiful dish takes some time to marinate, but it packs a disproportionate amount of flavour relative to its mere five ingredients. Serve it up with tortillas, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. Perfect casual fodder for feeding the troops. Find the recipe here.
Beef Topside Roast with Gravy from English Mustard Powder
Recipes Made Easy
Anyone who likes cooking topside beef in the traditional way will enjoy the recipe. Jacqueline Bellefontaine is the woman behind this blog, and she expertly guides us through the process so that even kitchen novices can get a handle on how to rustle up this crowd-pleasing dish. Always a winner. Find the recipe here.
Victorian Diable Sandwich
BBC Good Food
Who doesn’t love a good meaty sandwich from time to time? One to bust out when you’re feeding folk with good hearty appetites, this takes the idea of a Victorian diable – which is to say, beef roasting, capers, Dijon mustard, parsley and gravy – and then dish it up in a lovely crusty baguette. This is, however, one to eat at home rather than on the move, thanks to the inarguable addition of gravy – featuring parsley, capers and butter – which makes the finished article the real McCoy in our books. A perfect Sunday sandwich to eat in front of a cosy and comforting afternoon movie. Find the recipe here.
READ MORE
Norman Conquest: Russell Norman Talks Trattoria Brutto
Recipe For Relaxation: 6 Great Cookery Holidays
Team GWG’s Lives On A Plate: What We’re Cooking
