How Do You Cook Topside Beef in an Aga Cooker?

During the colder months of the year, you simply cannot beat a classic roast dinner and for many, roast beef is the meat of choice. In this article, we explain how to properly prepare and cook a joint of topside beef in an Aga cooker, as well as a few of the classic roast dinner trimmings, including crispy roast potatoes and homemade Yorkshire puddings. 

So, how do you cook topside beef in an Aga cooker? You cook topside beef (or any joint of beef) the same way in an Aga cooker as you would in a conventional oven, simply adjusting the length of the cook to suit the size of the joint. Use the roasting oven and cook on top of chopped root vegetables in a roasting tin for 12 minutes per lb of beef.

Read on to learn more about how to prepare and cook a joint of topside beef in an Aga cooker, as well as all of the traditional Sunday roast trimmings. 

How Do You Cook Roast Beef in an Aga Cooker?

Cooking topside roast beef in an Aga cooker follows the same principles as in a conventional oven, you just need to adjust timings to suit. But, with an Aga cooker, you’ll also be pleasantly surprised at how much space you have left for all the trimmings! No more Sunday afternoon stress over having everything ready (and still warm!) at the same time.

Below you’ll find information on how to prepare your topside beef joint for Aga cooking, as well as which oven to use and how long to cook it for. 

How to Prepare Your Topside Beef for Aga Cooking

How you prepare your topside beef joint will depend on your intended meal, however for a classic Sunday roast, we recommend the following:

1. Take your joint out of the fridge an hour before you begin cooking to allow it to come up to room temperature
2. Pat the joint dry with paper towels
3. Massage olive oil into the meat then season with salt and pepper. The oil helps the seasoning to stick
4. Line your roasting tin with tin foil or other non-stick liner and place large chunks of onions and carrots in the base
5. Place the joint on top of the vegetables in the roasting tin

Which Oven Do You Cook Topside Beef in?

To cook topside roast beef in an Aga cooker, use the roasting oven. This is the hottest part of an Aga cooker, reaching temperatures from 246°C to 260°C.  

In this oven, you can choose between fast roasting or medium roasting, depending on how long you have until dinner. For fast roasting, hang your roasting tin from the third set of runners in the roasting oven for 12 minutes per lb of beef. For medium roasting, put the joint in the roasting oven for a third of the cooking time to allow it to seal and brown, then move it to the simmering oven for the remaining cooking time - 12 minutes per lb. 

How to Cook the Ultimate Sunday Roast in an Aga Cooker

If you’re cooking a joint of roast beef, chances are you’re cooking more than just that - you’re probably cooking a classic roast dinner. Nothing beats roast dinner trimmings, so we’ve provided all the information you need to make the ultimate Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and, crucially, a delicious meaty gravy. 

For perfectly crispy roast potatoes, cut into even sized chunks and par-boil as normal. Then heat some fat in a roasting tin on the floor of the roasting oven before adding the potatoes and cooking for around 1-¼ hours until golden and crisp.

For classic Yorkshire puddings, make your batter as normal, ahead of time (leaving to rest until you’re ready to cook them), then heat oil in a muffin tin on the floor of the roasting oven until it’s very hot - this is crucial for success! Pour in the batter then cook for around 20 minutes until risen and golden. Don’t be tempted to open the oven doors throughout the cooking process as it can cause the puddings to drop (similar to cake). 

Hopefully you saved your meat juice from the topside beef once cooked - these will elevate an average gravy to an exceptional gravy. Pour these juices into a saucepan and place on the simmering plate. Mix in flour and water, stock or wine. Bring to the boil and stir continuously until the mixture has thickened to your preferred consistency. But, don’t walk away from it - your gravy will catch on the bottom of the pan and burn!

Learn more about cooking a classic Sunday roast with your topside beef in our recent blog, where we go into more detail about how to cook all the trimmings - roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and, of course, gravy.

Reconditioned Aga Cookers at Range Exchange

Range Exchange is the home of showroom-standard reconditioned Aga cookers. We offer a wide range of models that are all more than capable of creating the perfect roast beef joint and all the trimmings. Take a look at our traditional oil or gas Aga models, or New Gen models like eControl and Total Control.