The Perfect Roast: Top Beef Cuts for Roasting to Perfection

The roast is a Kiwi icon, and those who manage to nail the perfect roast are legends. Nothing beats sitting down to a perfectly cooked roast and all the trimmings - including crispy roast potatoes, a well dressed salad or fusion ingredients with a bit of zing for the palate. 

Roast meals are incredibly versatile in a seasonal sense, and while they may be traditionally thought of as an elaborate meal, most good beef cuts can be cooked in around an hour without any real maintenance in the oven. There are a variety of beef cuts that can be roasted, which means you can approach your roast as less of an occasional treat and more of a regular meal that you can add to your rotation a few nights a week. 

A roast can be quick and simple, so don’t feel like it’s only something to try out on your day off. With a bit of preparation and planning, you can sit down to perfectly roasted beef cuts on a workday and enjoy a roast for lunch or dinner across every season.

Read on as we explore the best beef cuts for roasting and get your mouth watering and your mind wandering towards perfecting the roast.

Which Beef Cuts Are Best for Roasting? 

Each beef cut has distinct characteristics, so it pays to understand which approach will be the best option for you. Here, we will chat about two of the beef cuts we recommend for the perfect roast, list some of their characteristics, and give you some tips on how to turn preparation into perfection.

Scotch Fillet 

Also known as the ‘cubed roll’ for a fulsome flavour experience, you can’t go past the scotch fillet. You should look for a well-marbled, 100% grass-fed cut that has been expertly aged for three weeks, such as our Matangi scotch fillet. 

Preparation is simple, first, heat the oven to 220℃. Then take your cubed roll out of the refrigerator and let it come up to room temperature, take a glug of the best oil you can afford and rub it all over the beef cut with salt and pepper. 

Heat a heavy pan to hot, and sear the beef cut on all sides, then place the beef into a roasting dish on top of onions, garlic, fresh herbs and butter - we like thyme. 

Pop it into the oven, turn the oven down to 120℃, and cook 1.5kg of scotch fillet for 1 hour for medium rare. Remove it, place it on a warm plate, and loosely cover with foil to rest for 15 minutes—voila!

Eye Fillet

Often referred to as the ‘Emperor’ of beef cuts, subtle in flavour and definitely the most tender cut when cooked correctly. Choose our Matangi Eye Fillet. All our beef is aged for  21 days on the bone, and our cattle graze exclusively on grass.

This beautiful beef cut has a thin silver-skin which should be removed before cooking to maximise the deep, rich flavour of your roasted eye fillet. Season with a top-quality salt the day before cooking. Preheat the oven to 240℃. and tuck the tail under your meat and tie it into a round with twine from the butcher, baste with clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil and place it in the oven with a meat thermometer for best results. When the internal temperature reaches 45 to 50°C, remove it, cover with foil and rest for at least ten minutes for perfect tender roasted results.

Roasting Beef Cuts to Perfection

Alongside the eye fillet and the scotch fillet, there are tantalising beef cuts like the sirloin, tri-tip, rump, topside and silverside that can be used to create delicious meals for your family or roasted to perfection for entertaining. A roast can be a great meal on a cold winter night with crispy root vegetables; you can add a chilli and coriander sauce and pair your beef cuts with rice or noodles and wok-fried vegetables, or think pink, with a rare roast on a hot summers day with a salad and a glass of Rosé - the possibilities are endless.

Nature Plus Nurture

The key to the perfect roast lies in choosing the right beef cuts, so look for a supplier such as Matangi that is dedicated to breeding the best marbled beef by providing an environment free from stress where the cattle can roam the grassy hills together. Be certain the beef is being hung on the bone for the magic number - 21 days - and choose a supplier that cares about premium quality for every cut.

Matangi Delivers

We do deliver - right to your doorstep. But we also deliver the quality and taste you want when you sit down with friends or family to enjoy a perfect roast beef. Nothing beats Matangi beef cuts for the perfect, nutritious meal, high in iron and Omega-3 fatty acids and overflowing with the fresh goodness of New Zealand pasture-fed cattle.

Browse our entire range of beef cuts for roasting, and our range of Meater Thermometers to help you achieve the perfect roast every time! 

Get in touch to find out more, or shop the range now.