Rib of beef with red wine sauce

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C/gas 3½. Put the carrot and onion in a roasting tin with any fat trimmings.
2. Season the beef well with salt and pepper, then rub in well. Sit it on top of the veg and cook for 30 minutes. Pour in 600ml water and cook for 1½-2 hours until a digital probe thermometer pushed into the centre of the meat reads 50-55°C (see tip). Remove from the oven to a board and rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours – the internal temperature will rise as it rests.
3. Add another 200ml water to the tin, then scrape up all the caramelised bits and juices from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon (if you need to, heat the tin briefly). Put a sieve over a clean pan, line the sieve with a clean J-cloth, then tip in the contents of the roasting tin, including the vegetables. Press down to extract as much goodness as you can, then discard the contents of the sieve. Boil and reduce the volume by half.
4. For the sauce, heat the 30g butter and shallots in a wide saucepan over a medium heat, then fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the red wine and boil to reduce by half.
5. Add the chicken stock, the reduced liquid from the roasting tin and any juices from the resting beef, then reduce by half again. Skim off any excess fat, taste, then season. Add the tarragon and simmer briefly until you’re ready to serve.

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