Beef rump with salsa verde and sherry-roast root vegetables

Method

1. Rub the meat all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. When very hot, add the meat and sear for 3-5 minutes on all sides until browned and caramelised.
2. Meanwhile, boil the carrots and potatoes together in a large pan of salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes until just tender. Drain in a colander to steam dry, then shake around in the colander to rough up the edges. Put the beef dripping in a large roasting tin, then put in the bottom of the oven to heat up.
3. When the dripping is hot, remove the tin from the oven and carefully add the carrots, potatoes, shallots and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, then return to the oven.
4. At the same time, put the beef in another large roasting tin and put in the oven above the vegetables. Roast everything together for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½ and roast for another 50-60 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, for the salsa verde, gently heat the olive oil in a small, heavy-based pan over a low-medium heat. Gently cook the garlic for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften but not coloured, then set aside to cool.
6. When the beef has been in the oven for 50 minutes, check the internal temperature has reached 57°C (for medium-rare) using a digital probe thermometer. If not, or if you prefer your meat more well done, return it to the oven for another 10 minutes, then test again. When ready, remove the beef and leave to rest on a lipped board (to retain the juices), loosely covered in foil, for 15 minutes.
7. At the same time, test the vegetables: they should be crisp on the outside and soft inside when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Leave the vegetables in the turned-off oven to keep warm.
8. Meanwhile, pound the garlic to a rough paste in a pestle and mortar or whizz in a small food processor. Add the rest of the salsa verde ingredients and pound/whizz until the mixture forms a rough paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning: you may want to add more lemon zest or sherry vinegar to taste.
9. Once the beef has rested, stir the resting juices through the salsa verde. Pour a small splash of sherry over the veg, then stir and season again. Slice the beef, then serve with the salsa verde and vegetables.