Instructions: Great British roast beef with all the trimmings can be a work of art for lovers of meat. But use the wrong roasting joint and it can be disappointingly tough and tasteless.

The best cut for a special occasion roast is a large sirloin, fore rib

(sometimes labeled prime rib as it is known in America) or fillet.

These are best when cooked rare to medium in a roasting tin, starting with a high oven heat to give the meat a colourful and tasty outside crust, then reducing the heat to a lower temperature to cook the inside. Leaving the bone in, especially in the sirloin and rib roasts, adds flavour and conducts the heat better. But for ease of carving and presentation, you may prefer a boned and rolled joint.

The pudding (Yorkshire style)

There are many variations on Yorkshire Pudding, but the most common recipe is to make a batter from 75g plain flour, 1 egg, 75ml milk, 50ml water and salt and pepper. Opinion varies as to whether you should refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes before cooking it. Some people also add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, or beer, to the batter. The main advice for foolproof puds is to make sure the fat is very hot before the batter is added and to cook the pudding at 220C/425F/gas mark 7, so its a good idea to put Yorkshire Pudding in the oven with the roast potatoes, once the meat is resting. You can use oil, dripping or lard.

Dont open the oven door during cooking or the puds may sink.

The bits on the side
Robustly flavoured accompaniments suit beef perfectly. Traditionally, hot, hot horseradish sauce is served (creamed horseradish is a better bet for the cowardly), but mustard is another winner. One of my own favourites is to introduce a punchy Italian element with salsa verde.

Simply whiz 6 anchovy fillets with their oil, 2 tbsp capers and 2 crushed cloves of garlic in a food processor, then add a handful of flat-leaf parsley, adding more oil if the mixture is too dry. Season to taste.

Groovy gravy
Gravy needs to be rich enough to complement the beef, horseradish and mustard. Its a good idea to stir in a few tbsp red wine, sherry or Madeira just before serving. For an extra rich gravy caramelise 1 very thinly sliced onion and 1 or 2 garlic cloves, bashed whole, in sunflower or olive oil. After 15-20 minutes over a low heat they should go a beautiful nutty brown. A few minutes before serving, add everything to your gravy base, including the burnt bits of onion, and mix in well.

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