English Sunday Roast

I love the ritual of a big Sunday dinner. Whether it’s a perfectly roasted chicken, a slow-simmered Sunday sauce, or a big pot of chicken chili (my family’s favorite when I was growing up), there’s something special about sitting down for a big meal once a week. So naturally, I was always going to love a Sunday roast.

Sunday roast, or roast dinner, is a traditional British meal of roasted meat, potatoes, and accompaniments like Yorkshire pudding, vegetables, stuffing, gravy, and various condiments depending on the meat. My recipe makes roast beef, roasted carrots and parsnips, the crispiest potatoes of all time, a creamy horseradish sauce, and a warm gravy for pouring over everything. It’s essentially a slightly pared-down version of traditional Christmas dinner. 

It’s ambitious for sure, but with a little bit of planning, it’s entirely possible to pull it off by yourself (take it from me — I live in an apartment with one oven). I’ll share my tips and tricks for how you can execute it without a hitch. 

Sunday roast is originally from the British Isles, specifically Yorkshire. It was meant as a meal eaten after Sunday church service. Although there are ties all the way back to medieval times, the modern Sunday roast came to cultural prominence during the Industrial Revolution. In the late 1700s, people would place a large cut of meat in the oven to roast while they got ready for church. Then, just before leaving, they’d add the vegetables. When their family got home from church, dinner was nearly ready.

While roast beef is perhaps the most quintessential centerpiece of a roast dinner, it’s common to utilize other proteins as well. Roast chicken, lamb, and pork all make delicious alternatives to beef. A rotisserie chicken would be a great stand-in when you don’t have the time for a longer roast.

This to-do list doesn’t exactly mirror the recipe below, rather it serves as a rough guide of the order I recommend making it in. 

1. Make the horseradish sauce. Technically you can make this during any down time you have in the cooking process, but I like to make it a day or two ahead to get it out of the way and give the flavors more time to meld.
2. Do all of your prep while the beef rests. The beef needs to rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before roasting, which is plenty of time to get the rest of your prep done. Cut all of the vegetables. Set the Yukon Gold potatoes in a pot of salted water on the stove until you’re ready to boil them. If you’re making Yorkshire pudding from scratch, make the batter and set it in the fridge until baking time.
3. Roast the beef and vegetables. Cook until the beef is medium-rare (here’s a quick guide to beef internal temperatures for doneness) and the vegetables are tender.
4. Boil and bake the potatoes. While the beef is roasting, boil the potatoes until tender, drain them, and shake to rough up the edges. Spread them out on a baking sheet and toss with duck fat (I’ve included more options below). As soon as the beef comes out, increase the oven heat and add the potatoes.
5. Bake the Yorkshire pudding. As soon as the potatoes come out, bake the Yorkshire pudding. I like to make them in a muffin tin because they cook more quickly and are easier to portion when serving.
6. Make the gravy. When everything else is nearly done, make a quick gravy with the pan drippings. 
7. Reheat if needed. If you need to warm the beef back up, lower the heat to 200ºF and heat it, covered, for a few minutes.

• Ask the butcher to tie the beef. Whether you use beef round or round roast, it will keep the meat well-shaped for presentation and even cooking. It’s not strictly necessary, but it’s nice if you can.
• Make sandwiches with the leftover meat. Horseradish sauce, thinly sliced roast beef, and a little gravy make a delicious sandwich. Add a handful of greens, if you have them.
• Keep the roast on the back of the stove, if you can. Set the (covered) roasted beef on the back of your stove if you have room. The heat from the oven will keep everything perfectly warm.
• Slice the beef as thinly as possible. This is a lean cut, so aim for thinner slices.

Oven capacity issues aside, here are some more side options to serve with your meal to mix and match.

• Peas. Simply boil frozen peas for an easy green addition.
• Steamed vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, or green beans are a great way to round out the meal and don’t require precious oven space.
• Stuffing. Whether served in a baking dish or as stuffing balls (perfect for eating with Yorkshire pudding), it’s a flavorful addition.
• Cauliflower cheese. This vegetable dish, which sometimes includes broccoli as well, is baked in a creamy cheese sauce similar to a gratin.
• More condiments. Depending on the protein, English mustard, warm applesauce, red currant jelly, cranberry sauce, and mint jelly are all traditional toppings to serve alongside the meat.