Description
THE BEEF
Our rolled sirloin comes from native breed cattle hand-selected from small independent farms across Norfolk and Suffolk by a family-run East Anglian abattoir with 60 years of relationships with these farmers. The sirloin is a joint where the quality of the animal matters above all else — good fat distribution through the muscle, even conformation, and the kind of steady natural growth that only comes from cattle raised properly on East Anglian pasture and marshland grazing. Our buyer’s graders know what to look for, and carcasses that don’t meet that standard don’t become rolled sirloins.
THE AGEING
Twenty-one days minimum in our own dry ageing facility — sometimes up to 28. The moisture leaves the meat slowly, concentrating the flavour. The natural enzymes break down the muscle fibres. The result is a roasting joint with more depth and more tenderness than fresh beef, and a consistency of quality that only proper ageing produces. After ageing, our butchers take the meat off the bone and roll each joint carefully to ensure an even cook and a joint that holds its shape through roasting and carving.
COOKING YOUR ROLLED SIRLOIN
Take it out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking — a joint this size needs time to come fully to room temperature. Season generously all over with flaked salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you have beef dripping, a thin rub over the surface adds flavour and helps the outside colour properly.
Preheat your oven to 220°C / 200°C fan. Start high for the first 20 minutes to build colour and begin rendering the fat. Then turn the oven down to 160°C / 140°C fan for the remainder.
After an initial 20 minutes in the oven, for rare give the joint 15 minutes per kg (internal temperature should be 48–50°C). For medium-rare, 20 minutes per kg (internal temperature 52–55°C). For medium, 25 minutes per kg (internal temperature 58–60°C).
A probe thermometer removes the guesswork entirely — pull the joint 3–4°C below your target as it continues to rise during resting.
Resting:
Rest loosely covered for at least 20 minutes. For a 3kg or 4kg joint, 25–30 minutes is better. Resting is where the juices redistribute through the meat — skip it and you’ll lose them the moment you carve.
Carving:
Remove the string, carve across the grain into even slices. Keep them generous — thin slices cool quickly and don’t do justice to a joint this good.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH IT
The rolled sirloin is versatile enough to anchor any occasion from a midweek family dinner to Christmas lunch. Proper roast potatoes cooked in beef dripping. A good Yorkshire pudding. Seasonal greens. Horseradish sauce or English mustard on the side.
For gravy, deglaze the roasting tin with a splash of red wine and good beef stock — scrape up every bit of the roasting residue from the base of the tin. That’s where the flavour is, and it takes two minutes.
For wine, a structured red suits the sirloin well — a Rioja Reserva, a Côtes du Rhône, or a well-kept Malbec.
STORAGE & DELIVERY
Delivered fresh in chilled packaging. Keep refrigerated and cook within use by on pack. Suitable for freezing — freeze on day of delivery and defrost slowly in the fridge for 24 hours before cooking.
