Amazing Sunday Roast Beef with The Best Chilli Cheese Sauce

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• Sunday roast beef trimmings
• Sunday roast beef with no gravy
• How to cook the perfect Sunday roast beef
• The best chilli cheese sauce
• More delicious Sunday lunch recipes on the blog
• Sunday roast beef with chilli cheese sauce recipe

This is the most flavoursome Sunday roast beef recipe we have ever made slathered in the best chilli cheese sauce. This is a recipe where a traditional Sunday roast beef meets Mexico flavours.

The Sunday roast is an institution (at least here in the UK). It doesn’t have to be a one pot wonder, it can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to. It does have its elements though that make it a roast, which, most importantly is the way it is cooked and nowadays that is in the oven, which technically is baking it, whereas traditionally it would have been on a spit and “roasted” in front of the fire. That can’t really be held against us though as it would not be the norm for all of us to have a huge inglenook fireplace adorned with wrought iron-mongery that can hold a whole carcass that would be turned most likely by an unfortunate aide who would however have been compensated by way of an extra flagon of ale. Our household ovens will have to do but they do the job perfectly and they do allow us time to chill whilst our roasts cook away.

Since our cooking method is a given, what comes next in importance are the ingredients. If you are using meat, then anything from foul to a game bird is great as is the cattle staples of beef, pork or lamb. For a vegan or vegetarian roast then offerings such as a beautifully roasted celeriac, nut roast or even watermelon are great, to be fair as long as it goes in the oven, it is a roast. 

Sunday roast beef trimmings

Next, we have the trimmings. The list is extensive and would primarily include potatoes. There would certainly be a grey area in the preparation of a classic Sunday roast beef at this point. Many would consider roasted potatoes the go to option but other varieties could be part of your favourite roast. There will definitely be a contingent of people who have grown up with mashed potato as part of their Sunday roast beef, perhaps dauphinoise potatoes cooked in a creamy and cheesy sauce is your favourite. Hasselback, Boulanger, Rosti or simply boiled could equally be your option. Whichever potato is chosen, the point is that the preparation methods for the trimmings will evidently be varied but still part of a traditional Sunday roast.

Other vegetables or vegetable dishes that are part of this roast club would best be described as seasonal. Carrots and a couple of greens such as broccoli and peas perhaps may make an appearance more often or not but the fact is that pretty much any vegetable can be used as part of a roast and that is totally acceptable.

Next to the importance list is sauces and accompaniments. This is where we would like to intervene with the status quo and infuse an alternate thought process into the creation of a roast. Quite simply, we have added another dimension (key in fusion foods) that looks to quality pairings of flavours and ingredients used elsewhere in the world and applied them to the Sunday roast. We understand that there are traditional sauces and accompaniments already in place such as horseradish or mustard with beef along with Yorkshire puddings, mint sauce with lamb, cranberry or bread sauce with turkey etcetera. 

Sunday roast beef with no gravy

Perhaps the one final potentially non-negotiable aspect is gravy! Does a traditional Sunday Roast have to include gravy? 

We have stated “traditional” which arguably gravy should be a part of but at Flavourise we love exploring flavour and look to classic pairings from everywhere. For this particular roast beef dish we have taken inspiration from the Mexican and tex-mex uses of beef and introduced a sauce that not only livens up the flavours but creates a completely different feel to a classic. This is done by simply adding a chilli cheese sauce. A roasted topside of beef with roasted vegetables and a chilli cheese sauce is amazing. Not difficult to understand why either as you may have already introduced cheese and spice to your Sunday roasts already. If you like mustard or horseradish with your beef then you already have the spice, we simply have exchanged this for jalapeño chilli, and if you have ever paired a Sunday roast beef with gratin dauphinoise potatoes or cauliflower cheese then the cheese aspect will make sense to you. 

The introduction of this very simple chilli cheese sauce to make this roast something quite special is also very easy to achieve.

To go one step further we have introduced some flavoursome extras in the form of a spice rub for the beef and the choice of vegetables often found in Mexican cuisine with sweet peppers and onions. The rub can be made yourself if not prepared in a bought barbacoa spice mix. Generally the flavours consist of the smoky spices of paprika, chipotle chilli and ancho chilli, aromatic and earthy cumin and oregano amongst the usual seasoning of salt, pepper and bay leaf. 

As this sauce is quite luscious, and thick with velvety cheese it also works excellently as a dip too. For this reason we feel the best potatoes to serve are potatoes that can be dunked, therefore roasted chips work well, whether you want thin shoestring roasted chips, fat chips or wedges is entirely up to you. For these, just peel and chip your potatoes and boil them for up to 15 minutes then drain fully and let them steam as dry as possible. Pour oil into a frying pan to cover the bottom of the pan and fry the chips for 5 minutes or so until starting to brown. Simply season them and place them in the oven for about 45 minutes or the same time it takes the beef to cook. Other than a variation on a Sunday roast beef, this could also be seen as a variation on a steak, chips and béarnaise sauce as the chilli cheese has such a silky texture it just melts over everything. It certainly looks the part and definitely tastes the part.

How to cook the perfect Sunday roast beef

When it comes to the cut of beef the classic cuts of silverside, topside or rump will often be the cuts sold for roasting. They tend to be rolled, tied in string and barded with a layer of fat to keep it in place when roasting. These cuts are very tender and are able to be cut in neat slices ideal for the presentation on a plate. If you feel like splashing out then certainly do. A large rib of beef or cote de boeuf contains a decent amount of marbling and as it is cooked on the bone, arguably the flavour is superior to any other cut. Other quality cuts such as sirloin and tenderloin (modernly known as Chateaubriand) are also very popular in restaurants and tend to be fairly pricey but are very tasty.

Whichever you use, make sure you bring it to room temperature before rubbing in olive oil and coating it with a nice spiced rub.

Next bring a frying pan to high heat and sear on all sides to brown the meat before placing in the oven.

For a 1k joint to cook rare cook in a hot oven at 220℃/428°F for the first 20 minutes then 30 minutes at 190℃/374°F. To cook medium cook the joint in a hot oven at 220℃/428°F again for the first 20 minutes but up the time at 190℃/374°F to 40 minutes. It is imperative after cooking beef in the oven to rest it afterward.

Some world-class chefs would say rest it for the same time it took to cook it but at least 30 minutes is recommended.

The best chilli cheese sauce

A good chilli cheese sauce has a few important aspects. It must, of course, be cheesy with the right flavour. We don’t want strong pungent artisan cheeses here but more tangy flavours. A rich Red Leicester works amazingly.

More flavour doesn’t come from more cheese as this will only start to solidify the sauce, which is the next aspect. It must remain silky and smooth. Start off with a simple roux of butter and flour with which to add milk too and stir to a creamy texture. The flavour must also showcase chilli but not blow your head off. A little buffalo wing sauce and jalapeño goes a long way and softened with some allspice creates just the right heat and flavour.

More delicious Sunday lunch recipes on the blog

Italian Seafood Stew
Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb in Moroccan Baharat Marinade