The Meat Man
They call him The Meat Man. Well, I do at any rate: “The Meat Man on the Market” is one of the local butchers with a stall on Cambridge Market. On Saturday, after that recent success with his liver I returned for a roasting joint. There was some very nice silverside (or was it topside?) of beef. Just over £8 for just shy a of kilo – not bad, I thought.
It took about an hour in the oven with a little pepper on the fat: 30 minutes in a cold oven that warmed to 190C, with the last half hour turned up to 240C. It’s the opposite way round to what Delia recommends, but I think it worked very well. During the cooking various additions went in the oven: for 40 minutes some whole new potatoes to bake; for 30 minutes, a yorkshire pudding; and for 20 minutes some baby leeks, washed and trimmed and wrapped tightly in foil.
The meat rested for 5 minutes whilst carrots boiled on top of the oven; whilst I sliced the beef, some tenderstem brocolli steamed. I’d stood the meat off from the roasting tray with chunks of onion and poured water in the bottom for a moist atmosphere; these heated with a little flour to make a thick gravy – no need for a stock cube this time!
The meat was delicious: soft, and a vibrant red in the middle, fading to pink then brown at the edges. My regular dining companion informs me it’s the best meal I’ve cooked this year, and I’m inclined to agree. The meat was flavoursome and perfectly cooked, the veg a variety of colours and textures, the gravy packed full of meaty goodness, and horseraddish sauce on the side. The wine that went with it is, I believe, another story entirely…