Roast topside of beef with roasties and gravy

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ gas 8. Put the mustard powder, sea salt, brown sugar and oil in a pestle and mortar, and pound to a thick paste. Rub this all over the beef, then put it in a roasting tin and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/ gas 3½ and roast for 50-55 minutes until a digital probe thermometer pushed into the centre of the meat reads 45°C for medium-rare or 55°C for medium. Remove from the oven (the temperature at the centre of the joint will continue to rise briefly) and rest on a board for 20-30 minutes. Set aside the tin with the roasting juices.
2. Once the beef is in the oven, start cooking the potatoes. Put them in a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 8-10 minutes until they’re tender and about to start falling apart. Drain well, allowing them to steam in a colander for 2 minutes. Put the beef dripping/oil in another large roasting tin and put in the oven under the beef to heat up.
3. Return the potatoes to the saucepan, scatter over the flour and some salt, then shake the pan vigorously so the flour coats the potatoes and the edges roughen up.
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4. When the fat in the tin is shimmering hot, carefully transfer the potatoes to the roasting tin, along with any mashed bits stuck to the bottom. Turn the potatoes in the fat so they’re evenly coated. Roast on the shelf below the meat.
5. When the meat is out of the oven, turn the heat up to 200°C/180°C fan/ gas 6. Toss the potatoes, then roast for another 20-30 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
6. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Put the beef roasting tin on the hob to heat, then pour in the madeira/wine/ port. Scrape the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to loosen and dissolve all the sticky bits from the meat. Pour into a jug and leave to settle for a minute, then skim off the fat from the top with a spoon and put in a bowl. You should have a couple of tablespoons of fat – if not, make up the quantity with beef dripping.
7. Set a medium pan over a medium heat, add the scooped fat, then stir in the flour to make a thick paste. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the flour starts to smell biscuity. Pour in the madeira juices, turn up the heat and bubble until thickened to a paste. Over a high heat, slowly add the beef stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thick, glossy gravy. Stir through any resting juices from the meat, add an extra splash of madeira, then taste and season. Keep warm over a low heat.
8. Thinly slice the meat. Serve with the potatoes and gravy, with greens on the side, if you like.