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Spice rubbed sirloin
( SERVES 4 )

Bite

5.0 / 5 FROM 1

The unique blend of spices and herbs in this rub gives the meat an intense flavour when cooked and makes the sirloin truly scrumptious. One of my secrets (if you have time) is to leave it overnight, uncovered in the fridge for the flavours to develop and the sirloin to firm up.

Ingredients

1 kg	Beef sirloin

Spice rub

5	Juniper berries, see below
1 tsp	Mixed spice, ground
¼ tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp	Sea salt
1 tsp	Fresh thyme, or dried
½	Lime, finely grated zest only
1	Bay leaf, fresh or dried
½	Lemon, finely grated zest only

Directions

Finely chop all the spice rub ingredients together.
Rub the spice mix all over the sirloin, massaging it into the meat and the top cap of fat.
Place the sirloin on a wire rack, uncovered in the fridge overnight.
Heat the oven to 200C, transfer the sirloin and rack to a roasting dish.
Cook for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 170C for a further 20 minutes depending on how well cooked you like it.
Take the sirloin out, cover it with tin foil and a tea towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Carve thick slices and serve with a burghul salad.

Pantry notes

Juniper berries are not actually berries but seed cones from the juniper tree and most famously known for their flavouring of gin. It’s the aromatic, fresh, sharp, citrus notes that bring a wonderful complexity to this dish. Most supermarkets stock juniper berries, but if you can’t find them, replace them with an extra 2 bay leaves.