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by Caroline Barty for House and Garden

A joint of beef was often served at Christmas before turkey became the most popular choice. Here the beef is rubbed in a sugar and spice mixture and left overnight to marinate. In addition to the sprout pur茅e, we usually serve some roast potatoes or a gratin.

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Serves 6

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Prep time:

10 mins

Cooking time: 1hr 20 mins

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For the beef:

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75g soft light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

2.5kg rib of beef

12 shallots, peeled and halved

2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 sprigs rosemary

2 tablespoons dripping, or vegetable oil

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For the pur茅e:

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900g Brussels sprouts, trimmed

50g butter

100g pancetta cubes

200ml cr猫me fraiche

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

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For the gravy:

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1 tablespoon plain flour

250ml red wine

500ml beef or chicken stock

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Method

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For the beef, mix the sugar with the mustard powder, crushed juniper berries and peppercorns, ground allspice and a teaspoon of salt. Rub all over the beef, cover and leave for about 8 hours in the fridge.

Take the beef out of the fridge about an hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 220掳C/gas mark 7. Arrange the shallots, carrots and rosemary in a large roasting tin and place the beef on top. Dot over the dripping or pour over the oil. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn down the heat to 190掳C/gas mark 5 and pour 300ml water into the roasting tin. Cook for a further 55-65 minutes, depending on how rare you like your meat.

For the pur茅e, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the sprouts for 6-8 minutes, or until they are cooked through but not soft. Drain well, then place in a food processor.

Melt 15g butter in a frying pan and fry the pancetta for 5-6 minutes. Place in the food processor with the sprouts and add the cr猫me fraiche, remaining 35g butter and thyme. Process until just smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving dish, cover and keep warm.

For the gravy, lift the beef out on to a carving dish, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for at least 10-15 minutes. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the roasting tin, leaving the vegetables. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over a medium heat. While stirring, pour in the wine and leave to simmer for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock. Stir until thickened and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Taste and season. Pass the gravy through a sieve, pressing the vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. Serve slices of the beef with gravy and the pur茅e.