Slow-Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings and Gravy

Dry-brine the joint. The day before, or at least 4 hours ahead, pat the beef joint dry and rub it all over with the fine salt. Set it on a wire rack over a tray and refrigerate uncovered. The salt seasons the meat right through over time while drying the surface, which helps it brown properly later.

Sear the outside. Heat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan). Pat the beef dry again, rub with half the oil and the black pepper, then heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over high heat until smoking. Brown the joint on every side for 2-3 minutes a side, holding it with tongs to colour the ends — this builds flavour on the crust before the gentle roasting begins.

Roast low and slow. Set the joint on a rack in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, until a probe thermometer in the centre reads 63°C. A low oven cooks the beef gently from the outside in, so the meat stays an even colour throughout with only a thin grey band at the surface.

Rest the beef. Lift the joint onto a board, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. It will hold at or above 63°C during this time while the juices redistribute through the meat, so carving doesn't flood the board.

Make the batter. While the beef roasts, whisk the flour, eggs, milk and salt together until smooth and the consistency of single cream. Leave it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so the starch in the flour hydrates fully, which helps the puddings rise taller.

Bake the puddings. Once the beef is out, turn the oven up to 230°C (210°C fan). Put a teaspoon of oil in each hole of the muffin tin and heat in the oven for 10 minutes until smoking hot. Pour in the batter quickly, filling each hole about halfway, then bake for 18-22 minutes without opening the door, until puffed, deep golden and crisp — the scorching fat and trapped steam are what make them billow up, and letting cool air in collapses them.

Finish the gravy and serve. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat from the roasting tin and set it over medium heat; stir in the butter and flour and cook for 2 minutes until biscuit-coloured. Stir in the tomato purée, then gradually whisk in the stock, scraping up the browned bits from the tin, add the thyme and any resting juices, and simmer for 5-8 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with pepper, strain into a jug, then carve the beef as thinly as possible across the grain and serve straight away with the puddings and gravy.