Recipes | Allens of Mayfair
Roast Rib of Beef
with Port & Stilton Gravy
by Nigella Lawson
2 x Onions - cut into 1cm rounds
2 tbsp Garlic Oil - or Vegetable Oil
1 & ½ tsp Maldon Salt - or 1tsp Table Salt
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
For the Port & Stilton Gravy
2 tbsp Fatty juices from the roast beef tin, plus extra to finish
1 tbsp Plain Flour
125 ml / 4f l oz Ruby Port
500 ml / 17 fl oz Beef Stock, heated
125g / 4oz Stilton Cheese
1 tsp Redcurrant Jelly
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
Method
1.Take the beef out of the fridge to bring to room temperature, which could take an hour or possibly more.
2. Preheat the oven to 220ºC / 425ºF / Gas Mark 7.
3. Place the onion slices into a roasting tin and balance the rib of beef on top on its bones.
4. Smear the oil over the white fat of the rib joint and sprinkle with the salt, thyme and cayenne pepper.
5. Roast for about two hours, or to your taste. For rare beef cook for 33 minutes per kg (or 15 minutes per lb). If you want medium beef, give the joint 44 minutes per kg (20 minutes per lb). If you like well-done meat cook for 66 minutes per kg (30 minutes per lb).
6. When the beef is cooked to your liking, remove from the oven, transfer to a carving board and allow to rest in a warm part of the kitchen under kitchen foil for 30 minutes before carving. Save the pan juices and onions for the gravy.
7. For the port and Stilton gravy, make a roux by placing the two tablespoons of the fatty juices from the roasted beef into a clean pan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour to create a paste.
8. Add all but one tablespoon of the port and keep whisking over a low heat, until thickened and boiling.
9. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the hot beef stock.
10. Add the Stilton and stir to melt into the gravy.
11. Add the redcurrant jelly and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer the gravy for five minutes, then stir in the remaining tablespoon of port. Serve in a jug alongside the roast beef.
Taken from Nigella Christmas, published by Chatto & Windus, 2008
Slow Roast Pork Belly
by Laurence Keogh
Head Cook at Roast Restaurant
1 x 2.5kg Pork Belly - scored
2 x Large Potatoes – peeled and sliced
1 x Lemon
Halen Mowan or Cornish Sea Salt
1 kg Bramley Apples – peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 x Cinnamon Stick
100g Butter
Method
1.Pre-heat oven to 240ºC / 475°F / Gas Mark 9
2.If the skin of the pork belly is elastic and fresh without being slimy, drizzle with lemon juice and cover with a very generous amount of salt. If the skin is imperfect in any way, see Cooks Notes, below
3.Leave for 10 minutes and then pat dry to remove lemon juice, and re-salt
4.Stack the potato slices in a roasting tin. Place the pork belly on top, and cook until golden and crackled, approximately 20 minutes.
5.Turn the oven down to 140ºC / 275ºF / Gas Mark 1 and cook for 3 hours, until the rib bones pull out easily, and the flesh is juicy and tender
6. Rest, and then carve
Apple Sauce
Place the apples in a large pot with the butter and cinnamon stick, and gently stew until soft. Pass through a mouli to remove all lumps.
Cook’s Notes
If the skin is in any way imperfect, place the pork belly on a wire rack over a sink or large pan. Pour over a large kettles worth of boiling water. Pat it dry and then continue with the salting process.
This opens the pores of the pork and lets the heat and salt penetrate more easily, leading to better crackling. If the skin is perfect do not do this as it adds to the water content of the skin and it will need longer in the hot oven to start with.
The lemon juice also adds to the water content but it makes the salt dissolve and penetrates the skin, leading to crisper, saltier cracking. It also adds acidity which cuts the fat when you eat it