A proper Sunday roast, cooked from start to finish in Charlie. The topside is seasoned with rosemary salt and seared close to the charcoal to build a deep brown crust, then gently roasted over onions and carrots with red wine and beef stock. The cooking liquor becomes a rich red wine gravy, while beef dripping gives the roast potatoes and carrots crisp edges and loads of flavour. Hispi cabbage is softened in stock, then finished over the charcoal for a little char and plenty of butter.
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: Approximately 1½ hours, depending on the size of the beef
- Resting time: 20 to 30 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Charlie Oven temperature: 200°C/392°F
- Cooking method: Searing, roasting and grilling
Ingredients
For the beef
- 1 topside joint of beef
- Oil, for rubbing
- Sea salt
- Dried rosemary
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Onions, roughly chopped
- Carrots, roughly chopped
- Red wine
- Beef stock
For the roast potatoes and carrots
- Floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
- Carrots, peeled and halved lengthways
- Beef dripping
- Sea salt
For the hispi cabbage
- 1 hispi cabbage
- Beef stock
- Water
- Butter
- Sea salt
For the red wine gravy
- Cooking liquor, onions and carrots from the beef
- Red wine, if needed
- Beef stock, if needed
- A small spoonful of cherry or blackcurrant jam
Prepare the beef
- Take the beef out of the fridge before cooking so it loses some of its chill.
- Mix the sea salt with the dried rosemary.
- Pat the beef dry and rub lightly with oil. Season generously all over with the rosemary salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roughly chop the onions and carrots ready for the roasting tray.
Set up your Charlie Oven
Light Charlie with lumpwood charcoal and bring the oven to around 200°C/392°F. Set a cooking rack low in the oven, close to the charcoal, for searing. Once seared, the beef will move into a roasting tray higher in Charlie where the heat is gentler and more even.
There is no need for smoking wood. The lumpwood charcoal and initial sear give the beef plenty of flavour.
Sear the beef
- Put the seasoned beef directly onto the low cooking rack above the charcoal.
- Sear on all sides until you have a good, deep brown crust.
- Once well browned, lift the beef out of Charlie ready to transfer to the roasting tray.
Roast the beef
- Scatter the roughly chopped onions and carrots over the bottom of a deep roasting tray.
- Sit the seared topside on top.
- Pour red wine and beef stock into the tray around the meat.
- Put the roasting tray on a higher rack in Charlie, away from the strongest direct heat.
- Close the door and roast at around 200°C/392°F.
- Use a temperature probe to avoid overcooking the beef. Insert it into the centre of the thickest part of the joint. For medium beef, aim for around 57 to 60°C/135 to 140°F before resting.
Prepare the potatoes and carrots
- Parboil the potatoes until the outsides begin to soften. Drain thoroughly and shake them in the colander to rough up the edges.
- Peel the carrots and halve them lengthways.
- Parboil the carrots until partly tender, then drain well.
Rest the beef
Lift the beef out of the roasting tray and rest somewhere warm for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Keep everything left in the roasting tray for the gravy.
Roast the potatoes and carrots
- Heat the beef dripping in a roasting tray in Charlie.
- Carefully add the parboiled potatoes and halved carrots and turn them through the hot dripping.
- Season with sea salt.
- Roast at around 200°C/392°F, turning during cooking, until the potatoes are deeply golden and crisp and the carrots are tender and caramelised.
Make the red wine gravy
- Use the onions, carrots and cooking liquor left behind by the beef as the base for the gravy.
- Add a little more red wine and beef stock if needed, scraping up the browned bits from the roasting tray.
- Stir in a small spoonful of cherry or blackcurrant jam to balance the gravy. You are not looking for sweetness, just enough to round out the red wine and rich beef juices.
- Reduce until rich and glossy, then strain before serving.
Cook the hispi cabbage
- Cut the cabbage lengthways into wedges, keeping the root intact so they hold together.
- Bring a mixture of beef stock and water to the boil.
- Parboil the cabbage until beginning to soften but still holding its shape, then drain thoroughly.
- Transfer the wedges to the Charlie Perforated Plancha on a low rack position close to the charcoal.
- Cook until the cut sides and edges develop a good char while the centre remains tender and juicy.
- Finish with a little butter and sea salt.
Serve
Carve the rested topside thinly across the grain. Serve with the crisp beef-dripping roast potatoes, caramelised carrots and buttery charred hispi cabbage. Spoon the hot red wine gravy generously over the beef.
Cook’s notes
Topside is relatively lean, so a temperature probe is a really useful way to avoid overcooking it. Use whichever probe you prefer, insert it into the centre of the thickest part of the joint and cook to temperature rather than relying on time alone.
Use Charlie’s rack positions to manage the heat. Sear low down close to the charcoal, then move the beef higher to roast more gently in the red wine and stock.
Don't throw away anything from the beef roasting tray. The onions, carrots, wine, stock and beef juices make a brilliant base for gravy.
The jam is there to balance the gravy rather than sweeten it. Start with a small amount and taste before adding any more.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should topside of beef be for medium?
Aim for around 57 to 60°C/135 to 140°F before resting. Check the centre of the thickest part of the joint with a temperature probe.
Where should I cook topside in the Charlie Oven?
Start on a low rack close to the charcoal to sear the outside. Once browned, transfer the beef to a roasting tray and move it higher in Charlie to roast more gently at around 200°C/392°F.
Why roast the beef with red wine and beef stock?
The wine and stock create a flavourful roasting liquor. As the beef cooks, its juices combine with the onions, carrots, wine and stock to make the base for the gravy.
Why add jam to beef gravy?
A small amount of cherry or blackcurrant jam helps balance the acidity of the red wine and richness of the beef. It shouldn't make the gravy taste sweet.
How do I stop topside of beef becoming dry?
Use a temperature probe and cook to temperature rather than relying solely on time. Rest the beef for 20 to 30 minutes before carving thinly across the grain.
Why finish hispi cabbage over the charcoal?
Cooking the cabbage first in beef stock and water makes it tender. Finishing it close to the charcoal gives the outside some char while keeping the centre soft and juicy.