David Attwater's recipe for the perfect roast dinner

Roast dinner (Serves 4)

Ingredients

For the beef

1kg beef sirloin

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped

600ml beef stock

3 tblspns beef fat or vegetable oil

2 bay leaves

For the potatoes

1kg waxy potatoes (eg Desiree)

100g beef or duck fat

Few sprigs thyme

2 garlic cloves

Salt and black pepper

To serve

Yorkshire puddings

carrots

broccoli

Method

• Twenty-four hours before you want to serve the roast, peel and cut the potatoes into large, evenly sized pieces. Bring a large pan of salted water to a rapid boil, add the potatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes until they are starting to break up around the edges. 
  
  
• Drain, season with salt and black pepper and place on a tray in a single layer. Store in the fridge overnight, which gives the starch a chance to set, resulting in a crispier potato. 
  
  
• Next day, preheat the oven to 130°C. Season the sirloin all over with salt and black pepper. Spread the chopped vegetables over the base of a baking tray. Place the sirloin on top, transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes for medium/medium rare. If you have a meat thermometer then the core temperature should read 50°C. Cooking the beef at a low temperature helps to keep it tender. If you prefer your beef well done, then continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of beef fat or vegetable oil in a frying pan. When the oil is smoking hot, add the sirloin and sear for 3-4 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and leave to rest in a warm place for 10-15 minutes while you finish the potatoes and gravy.
• Pour the beef or duck fat into a large frying pan. When hot, add the potatoes, thyme and garlic. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning the potatoes frequently, until they are golden and crispy on all sides.
• Place a separate frying pan over a medium heat, add the cooked vegetables, bay leaves and any meat juices. Stir well and add the beef stock. Bring to the boil, then cook for 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced. Strain through a sieve, pressing down on the vegetables to extract as much flavour as possible.
• Slice the beef thinly and arrange on serving plates with the potatoes, vegetables, and Yorkshire puddings. Pour the gravy over and serve.