Traditions aren’t always easy to carry on, but mum’s roasts are now the stuff of legends.
The modern day mum doesn’t always have so much time to prepare for a meal. It is all too difficult with two young children, a full-time job and busy weekends. A roast is easy to prepare and doesn’t require a lot of skill or time.
Roasting is a simple and effective cooking method that uses dry heat to cook food.
It is a great way to caramelise meat to get a golden brown outside crust.
Quality meat is readily available at all our stores and butchers and there are plenty of chefs teaching us how to cook well on every television channel.
Here is a tried and tested cheaper cut for a roast, the shoulder.
Start in the morning or the night before with marinating the shoulder. Ask your butcher to debone the shoulder for you.
A whole leg of lamb can be quite costly and too large for a small family. But ask your butcher to make your leg up into two smaller portions and then you have two mini-roasts for the family.
Don’t forget the gravy and do roast some potatoes with the meat for a delicious combination. During the winter, accompany your dish with plenty of vegetables, while you can prepare a selection of salads in summer.
Tips and tricks for roasting:
• Remove the piece of meat from the fridge two hours before cooking it to allow it to reach room temperature.
• Pre-heat the oven.
• Do not place salt on the meat before cooking it as this draws out water from the meat.
• If the recipe requires it, rub the flavourings and herbs into the meat by hand.
• Allow the meat to rest before slicing as it locks in the moisture.
Mini roast
A mini roast is a great way to enjoy a roast in less time.
A mini roast is just a smaller piece of meat, about 300g to 450g, and it comes from the same cut just in a smaller size. The mini roast originated in Europe with the rise of smaller families. Smaller pieces of meat are required for dinner.
It makes for a great mid-week meal as it is a quick way of preparing a delicious cut of meat.
