Roast Beef Salad
A great salad for a summer party. Use really lean beef and cook it rare. The dressing is based on a herby Argentinian chimichurri sauce. Any leftover meat can be wrapped in foil and kept in the fridge for a couple of days, and can be used later for salads or open topped sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
- 1 kg beef topside, rolled and tied
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 85 g bunch or bag of watercress
- 2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
For the herb dressing
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
- 1 plump red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp cold water
- pinch of flaked sea salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃/Fan 180℃/Gas 6. Crush the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar, stir in the salt and sprinkle everything onto a board. Roll the beef in the spices and place it in a small roasting tin.
- Roast for 45 minutes for rare meat, about 60 minutes for medium and 1¼ hours for well-done beef. Leave to rest in the tin for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- Put the sliced red onion in a bowl and stir in the vinegar. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then drain. (This will brighten the colour and add flavour.)
- To make the dressing, put the parsley, oregano, chilli, garlic, mustard, vinegar, oil and water in a small jam jar. Add a pinch of salt and a few twists of black pepper. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until well combined. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Put the beef on a board and snip off the string. Carve the beef into thin slices. Arrange the beef, watercress, lettuce and tomatoes on a large platter. Scatter over the lightly pickled red onions, drizzle with the herb dressing and serve.
Notes
Cooks Tip: The cold beef will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days but the salad needs to eaten as soon as it is dressed. So, you can cook the beef ahead and then assemble when you are ready. It goes particularly well with freshly boiled new potatoes.