From the Lincolnshire Wolds to your Sunday table
The Sunday Roast is the undisputed crown jewel of British culinary tradition. The centrepiece for many a get-together, from New Year and Easter through to Christmas and any given Sunday. But, at Lakings, we believe a truly great roast doesn’t start in the oven; it starts in the rolling, green hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds. For over a century, our family butchery has provided the accountability and craft that result in happy cows.
Whether you are visiting us in Louth or ordering for nationwide delivery, our beef is traditionally dry-aged for 21 days to ensure a depth of flavour and tenderness that supermarket alternatives simply cannot match.
What is a beef roasting joint?
In the simplest terms, a roasting joint is a large, prime cut of beef intended to be cooked slowly using dry heat. However, at Lakings, it is a hand-selected cut, such as a lean topside, a marbled sirloin, or a moreish rib, that has been expertly trimmed by our team. Because our beef is grass-fed and dry-aged, it loses natural moisture before it reaches you. This process concentrates the flavour and ensures the meat roasts rather than ‘steams’ in its own juices.
How to cook a beef roasting joint
To achieve a restaurant-quality finish, you must always respect the meat. Remove your joint from the fridge at least an hour before cooking so it can reach room temperature; this prevents the outside from overcooking while the middle stays cold. Season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper, but take our word for it, a joint of beef can handle a lot. We recommend sealing the meat in a searingly hot pan for 2–3 minutes on each side before it hits the oven. Start your joint off in your oven at 220°C, just for the first 15 minutes to develop a crust, then drop the temperature to 180°C for the remainder of the cook.
Top Tip for Beef
The secret of rest: The most common mistake is carving too soon. When you remove the beef from the oven, wrap it loosely in foil and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. This allows the fibres to relax and the juices to redistribute, ensuring a succulent bite every time.
How long to cook a beef roasting joint (per kg)
Timing is everything. For a standard fan-assisted oven set to 180°C, use the following table to calculate your timings based on the weight of your joint.
Cooking Timings per 500g of beef
| Desired Finish | Minutes per 500g | Internal Temperature (Goal) |
| Rare | 20 mins + 20 mins extra | 50°C |
| Medium-Rare | 22 mins + 22 mins extra | 55°C |
| Medium | 25 mins + 25 mins extra | 60°C |
| Well Done | 30 mins + 30 mins extra | 70°C |
How much beef joint do I need per person?
This is the part of planning that requires a bit of butcher’s math. As a general rule, we recommend 250g to 300g of raw meat per adult for a boneless joint (like topside or sirloin). If you are opting for a bone-in joint like a rib, increase this to 350g to 400g per person to account for the weight of the bone.
The difference between topside and sirloin roasting joints
While a beef rib (or two) will always promise some ooohs and aaahs from around the table, there is no denying that the two heavyweights in the beef roasting joints are topside and sirloin. Choosing between these two classics depends on your preference for texture and flavour. The topside is the ultimate family all-rounder; it is lean, easy to carve into uniform slices, and offers incredible value. The sirloin roasting joint, however, features a rich ‘fat cap’ on the top and beautiful internal marbling. As it roasts, that fat melts into the meat, providing a buttery, luxurious mouthfeel that makes it the definitive choice for special occasions.
Discover all of the beef roasting joints that Lakings has to offer, and make your next Sunday roast an extra-special occasion.
