The Perfect Mother's Day Roast: Classic Topside Beef With All The Trimmings

There's nothing quite as special as a beautifully cooked roast dinner shared with the people you love – and this Mother's Day, we want to help you create exactly that.

Our premium topside beef roasting joint is the perfect centrepiece for a memorable family celebration, delivering rich, full flavour and wonderful tenderness that will have everyone around the table asking for seconds.

Topside is our go-to recommendation for the perfect roast – lean, tender and full of flavour, it's one of the most beloved roasting cuts in the UK for good reason.

Follow our simple step-by-step recipe and you'll achieve a show-stopping roast dinner that will make Mother’s Day truly unforgettable.

Preparation

Step 1: Prepare Your Joint

Remove your topside joint from the fridge and its packaging at least one hour before cooking. This is a crucial step – bringing the meat to room temperature ensures even, consistent cooking throughout. While you're waiting, make a note of the joint's weight and calculate your roasting time using the guide below.

Roasting times per 100g:

• Rare: 4 minutes 30 seconds per 100g
• Medium Rare: 5 minutes per 100g
• Medium: 6 minutes per 100g
• Well Done: 7 minutes per 100g

Once the hour is up, preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 4.

Step 2: Prepare The Trivet

In a roasting tin just slightly larger than your joint, scatter the roughly chopped carrots, onion slices, thyme and rosemary. This bed of vegetables – known as a trivet – serves two important purposes. It keeps the meat lifted off the base of the tin, allowing heat to circulate all around the joint for even cooking, and it also forms the flavoursome base of your gravy later on.

Step 3: Sear The Joint

Pat your topside joint dry with kitchen paper, then rub all over with the olive oil and a generous amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Don't be shy with the seasoning – it forms a wonderful crust during searing and roasting.

Place a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the joint all over until beautifully browned on all sides. This should take around 10 minutes in total. This important step locks in the flavour and creates that irresistible caramelised exterior that makes a roast so special.

Once browned, place the joint fat side up on top of your trivet in the roasting tin, and pour over any fat or juices from the frying pan.

Step 4: Roast Your Joint

Place the roasting tin in the preheated oven and roast for your calculated time, basting the joint halfway through cooking with the pan juices. This keeps the meat moist and adds an extra layer of flavour to the exterior.

Begin checking the internal temperature of the meat around 10 minutes before your calculated cooking time is up, as all ovens can vary. Use a meat thermometer inserted as close to the centre of the joint as possible, and hold for 15 seconds before reading:

• Rare: Remove at 43°C (will reach 50°C while resting)
• Medium Rare: Remove at 50°C (will reach 57°C while resting)
• Medium: Remove at 56°C (will reach 63°C while resting)
• Well Done: Remove at 63°C (will reach 70°C while resting)

If you don't have a meat thermometer, insert a skewer into the centre of the joint – red juices indicate rare, pink indicates medium, and clear indicates well done.

For topside, we recommend cooking to medium rare to medium, to keep the meat tender, juicy and full of flavour.

Step 5: Rest The Joint

Once cooked, transfer your topside joint to a warm plate, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. This step is every bit as important as the cooking itself – resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, giving you a more tender, succulent result in every slice. Don't be tempted to skip this stage!

Step 6: Make The Gravy

While the joint is resting, place your roasting tin directly onto the hob over a medium heat. The trivet vegetables and pan juices left behind are packed with flavour and form the perfect base for a rich, delicious gravy.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well, cooking for 1–2 minutes.

Gradually add the beef stock, stirring continuously to avoid lumps, then simmer until the gravy reaches your preferred consistency. Strain through a fine sieve into a warm jug, pressing the vegetables to extract maximum flavour. Season to taste and keep warm.

Step 7: Carve & Serve

Carve your rested topside joint into thin slices against the grain for maximum tenderness. Arrange on a warm serving platter and bring to the table alongside your roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, seasonal vegetables and a generous jug of gravy.

Serve immediately and enjoy a Mother's Day roast dinner that's guaranteed to make Mum feel truly special!