Directions

1. To prepare the roast beef in a salt crust, start by washing and drying the aromatic herbs. Then finely chop some rosemary, thyme and bay leaves and cut off the excess fat from the beef. Depending on the piece of meat chosen, you can tie it to have a more compact cut or just leave it as it is, if it’s of a reasonable size already.

2. Massage the aromatic herbs into the meat, gently rubbing the whole surface and making sure that the spices are spread evenly on all sides. Now bring out a baking tray with tall edges. Make sure it is at least 2 cm wider than the meat from all sides and fill it with a generous layer of salt (around 2cm).

3. Now lay the roast beef on the baking tray and cover it with an even layer of salt, about 2cm on each side, creating a kind of a shell. It is essential to use the coarse salt, as the finely ground one would be absorbed by the meat too quickly.

4. Moisten the surface of the salt crust with some water, so that it hardens during cooking. Finally bake in a preheated static oven at 200°C for 25 minutes (we do not recommend using the fan mode, as it would dry out the meat). Do not open the oven during cooking to prevent the temperature from dropping.

5. After cooking is complete, remove the baking tray and let it stand at a room temperature for 10 minutes. Then, using spoons or a knife if the crust has become very hard, remove the layer of coarse salt from the meat by gently scraping it from the surface.

6. Then place the roast beef on a cutting board, eliminating excess salt if necessary. Slice it gently with a sharp knife or use a slicer if you prefer thinner pieces. The meat inside must be pink, but if you like your beef slightly less raw, continue cooking it for 5 minutes longer, always according to the weight of the cut chosen. Now your salt-crusted roast beef is ready to be served!