Juicy, flavoursome beef cooked outdoors over wood
As well as cooking a rib of beef on the Weber Genesis II LX we are also going to cook one on the Alfa wood fired oven to see if there is any difference in taste between this and the one cooked with gas. We have taken the same ingredients as in the Weber video and prepared the beef in exactly the same way.
Ingredients
- rib of beef about 2.5kg (5lb 8oz)
- butternut squash
- carrots
- parsnips
- baby potatoes
- rapeseed oil
- Maldon sea salt
- ground black pepper
Lightly cover the beef with some rapeseed oil and sprinkle with the sea salt and ground black pepper. We have used a 35 day aged rib of beef with provenance, from a small family butchers, so we know from which farm it came. Pre-heat the Alfa to about 200C (392F) and push the glowing embers to one side and sweep the oven floor prior to putting in the meat. Place the seasoned meat onto the cooking rack with the fat side nearest the fire. We have found that stacking a couple of pieces of wood on the opposite side to the fire makes it quicker to bring the oven back up to temperature when adding more fuel and maintains a much more equitable temperature.
About half way through the cook when the internal temperature of the beef has reached 30C (86F), about 25 – 60 minutes, turn the beef around and cover it with a piece of tinfoil. Place the chopped and lightly oiled vegetables into the Alfa tray, put the beef on the rack over the vegetables and replace into the oven; the juices from the beef will drip over the veggies adding to their flavour.
Cook the beef until the internal temperature has reached 55C (131F) for medium rare. Take off and rest for about 30 minutes, while the vegetables continue cooking. A digital thermometer is invaluable for accurately cooking the beef to the exact ‘doneness’. To serve the rib just run a sharp carving knife down the bone and remove the meat as a whole joint; carve into slices. For me this method just has the edge over the one cooked over gas.