Beef Sirloin with Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffing
Stuffing is not just for Turkeys! In this recipe, lean, tender Beef Sirloin is stuffed with a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts – packed with flavour, it’s perfect for a special celebratory dinner. Serves 6-8.
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7). Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the pine nuts to the dry pan. Cook the nuts for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan to prevent them burning, until golden and smelling toasted, then tip on to a saucer and leave to cool. Put the pan back on the heat and add 3 tbsps of the olive oil. Lower the heat a little and add the prepared onion to the pan, then cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring gently, until softened.
Next, crush in the garlic cloves, add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Take the pan off the heat, then mix in the toasted pine nuts, the breadcrumbs and the parsley. Stir well to mix, season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside to cool. Remove the string from the Beef Sirloin (see note in ‘Ingredients’), and have a roasting tray ready to hand.
Make a length-wise cut in the top of the meat, down to about two-thirds of the way through it; this will be the ‘pocket’ that holds the stuffing. When the stuffing is cool enough to handle, push it carefully down into the pocket to fill it completely. Re-use the butchers’ string (or just use kitchen string) to tie the sirloin, so that the stuffing is secure, then transfer it to the roasting tray. Rub the remaining three tbsps of oil over the surface of the meat, then season with salt and pepper.
Put the Sirloin into the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (Gas Mark 4) and continue cooking for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes, then serve (remember to remove the string).
