The weather is turning dark and drizzly, which only means one thing - it's roast dinner season.

You can't beat tucking into a humble family roast around the kitchen table on a chilly Sunday afternoon, and roast beef is among our favourite meats.

Served with crispy potatoes, fluffy Yorkshire puds and seasonal vegetables - not to mention a jug of hot gravy - it's the ultimate comfort dish.

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If you're thinking of cooking lunch for all the family this weekend, Jamie Oliver's 'perfect roast beef' recipe certainly stands out.

Not only is it easy, Jamie said on his website that it was "a simple way to roast topside of beef to ensure it's super succulent, every time".

The secret to making roast beef super tender is to get it out of the fridge early, he said.

He also advises to preheat the oven extra hot, leave the cooked meat to rest, and to baste the beef halfway through cooking if the vegetables look dry.

Watch how we got on in the video above and make it yourself using his easy recipe below.

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Jamie Oliver's Perfect Roast Beef recipe (serves 6)

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg topside of beef
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 1 bulb of garlic
  • 1 bunch of mixed fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, bay, sage
  • Olive oil

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding is perfect for a Sunday lunch

Method

  1. Remove the beef from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook it, to let it come up to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9.
  3. Wash and roughly chop the vegetables – there's no need to peel them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled.
  4. Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with oil.
  5. Drizzle the beef with oil and season well with sea salt and black pepper, then rub all over the meat. Place the beef on top of the vegetables.
  6. Place the tray in the oven, then turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook for 1 hour for medium beef. If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. If you're doing roast potatoes and veggies, this is the time to crack on with them – get them into the oven for the last 45 minutes of cooking.
  8. Baste the beef halfway through cooking and if the veg look dry, add a splash of water to the tray to stop them from burning.
  9. When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes or so. Cover it with a layer of tin foil and a tea towel and leave aside while you make your gravy, horseradish sauce and Yorkshire puddings.

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