Beef Mini Roast with Porcini and Chilli

Name: Beef Mini Roast with Porcini and Chilli
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 x 400-450g lean beef mini roasting joint (we used a mini topside joint); 1 tablespoon caster sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes; Pinch freshly milled black pepper; 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms; 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped; 5 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil; 1 bunch green asparagus, shaved with a swivel headed potato peeler; ½ small cucumber, thinly sliced into ribbons; 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley; Grated zest of 1 lemon; 75g baby spinach or pea shoot leaves; 2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil

This tasty roast beef mini roasting joint is topped with a dried porcini and chilli paste. It's cooked in under an hour, cut into strips and tossed in a spring salad.

prep time
5 mins

cook time
50 minutes

serves
3 people

Ingredients

1 x 400-450g lean beef mini roasting joint (we used a mini topside joint)
For the Porcini and Chilli Paste:
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
Pinch freshly milled black pepper
2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
5 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil
For the Salad:
1 bunch green asparagus, shaved with a swivel headed potato peeler
½ small cucumber, thinly sliced into ribbons
2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
75g baby spinach or pea shoot leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin rapeseed or olive oil

Method

To prepare the paste; put the sugar, salt, chilli flakes, pepper and mushrooms into a small blender and grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl; add the garlic and oil and mix to form a paste.
Preheat the oven to 190°C,170°C Fan, Gas Mark 5.
Place the beef on a chopping board, make several slashes over the surface and brush with the paste. Transfer to a roasting rack in a medium non-stick roasting tin and roast for 40-50 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
Remove the joint from the oven, transfer to a warm plate, cover and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes, 20 minutes if time allows.
To prepare the salad; in a large bowl mix together all the ingredients, season and stir gently.
Slice the beef into strips, toss in the salad and serve.

Tips:

The rub works fantastically well with a large joint, but double the quantities of the porcini and chilli paste. If preferred cook the joint as a quick roast, carve and serve with seasonal vegetables rather than in the salad.