How to Cook Topside Beef

September 15, 2023

by HelloFresh Uncategorized

Contents

Beef is a juicy and flavourful meat that’s easy to cook with. Its great flavour and versatility means you can use beef in a wide variety of dishes, across numerous cuisines. Cooking full joints of beef can feel a little intimidating, if you aren’t an experienced cook. Whether you’re worried about over- or undercooking, here you’ll find a variety of ways to cook topside beef, as well as a range of delicious beef recipes that will the whole family will love.

What is topside beef?

Topside beef refers to a large and lean cut of meat that is taken from the hindquarters of a cow. Topside meat makes an excellent cut for roasting as it’s both lean and tender. This means your Sunday roasts can be extra juicy and flavoursome. If you have a smaller family, or perhaps you’re cooking for two, you can also source smaller mini topside joints from your local supermarket or butchers. These joints also take less time to cook than bigger portions.

How to cook topside beef

The best way to cook topside beef, and retain the most flavour, is roasting. It’s important to be aware of the timings for cooking beef. This depends on the size of your joint, as well as preparation methods and the resting time after cooking. Read on below to find out everything you need to know when cooking topside beef.

How to prepare topside beef

Before cooking your topside joint of beef, it’s important to make sure it isn’t too cold, as this could affect the cooking process. Take it out of the fridge at least one hour before you plan to start roasting it. In order to get the best flavour out of your beef joint, you need to make sure to season the meat well. Drizzle the joint with olive oil and season with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Rub and massage this into the meat to ensure all parts of the joint are covered and seasoned.

How long to cook topside beef

How long your topside beef takes to cook depends entirely on the size of your cut. For larger joints, expect a longer roasting time. You should also factor in the type of cooker you have, and also how well you want the meat cooked; for example, if you would like your meat rare, medium-rare or well done.

When cooking a 1kg joint of topside beef, cook for the lengths of time below according to your preferences:

40 minutes (rare)
50 minutes (medium-rare)
1 hour, 5 minutes (medium-well)
1 hour, 20 minutes (well done)

Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your beef, to ensure it’s safe for eating. If the core temperature (where the meat is thickest) reaches 60°C for 45 minutes, 65°C for 10 minutes, 70°C for two minutes, 75°C for 30 seconds and 80°C for six seconds, then the beef has reached its perfect temperature and is safe to eat.

All cooking appliances vary. These are guidelines only. Ensure the food is piping hot before serving. Do not reheat.

Best way to roast topside beef

When roasting a topside joint of beef, there are a number of steps you need to take to get the best from your meat and ensure a tasty and delicious meal.

Firstly, if your beef joint comes wrapped in netting, keep this on while cooking. This ensures the joint will keep its shape while roasting and will cook evenly. Fat helps keep the topside beef joint juicy throughout the cooking process too, so make sure to roast your meat with the thin layer of fat facing up. This allows the juice to drip into the meat, keeping it moist.

It also helps to cover your joint of beef with tinfoil throughout the cooking process, as this ensures that the outer layers of the meat won’t cook quicker than the rest of the joint. This layer of foil also helps to lock in moisture and keep the meat tender.

After your beef is cooked to your desired preference, remove it from the oven and let the meat rest untouched for a while. This gives the juices in the joint time to spread throughout the meat. If you skip this process, you may find the meat tastes drier and is less tender to cut.

What to serve with beef

Beef can be perfectly paired with a range of side dishes. Of course, you have the classic roast dinner, with full trimmings of potatoes, veg and gravy. However, there are many alternatives when it comes to serving joints of beef. Beef and mushrooms make for a tasty pairing, or for something different, pair topside beef with noodles or rice.

“Topside beef is a delicious, hearty meat that tastes beautiful with rich flavours, like in garlic potatoes or buttery greens. Intense flavours really complement the meat’s firm texture and earthy taste, so you don’t have to be afraid of going all out when making your beef meal,” says Mimi Morely, recipe and development manager at HelloFresh.