There are so many things to love about roast dinners. The pleasant anticipation, for example, when you’re brushing a marinade (mustard, oil, herbs, spices) or oil (olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest) generously on the meat the day before and already looking forward to tomorrow. Or the fact you can leave it cooking happily away while you’re reading a book on the sofa or peeling potatoes for the mash and the fine roast aroma fills up the entire house… Or the juices you can use to make a quick sauce by adding a shot of wine, some cream and seasoning. It’s so tasty I used drank it directly from the gravy jug as a kid. But only when mum wasn’t looking, of course!
It’s called comfort food – food that warms the soul – and the best think about it is that a good Sunday roast can feed the entire extended family. If there is anything left over, you can slice the cold meat for a delicious breakfast. There are many ways to roast meat:
Lean meat can be greased with think strips of fat to keep the meat juicy. You can also stud the meat with cloves of garlic or fresh herbs, as these release their delicious favours in the oven. The roast becomes a festive affair if you spike the meat with cloves, which not only tastes good but looks good too. You can also use fillings: a cream cheese filling with porcini mushrooms, a nut and herb butter, or a filling with sausage meat and herbs for a wholesome roast dinner. In addition to the sausage meat and chopped herb filling, you can also try wrapping the joint up in a pig’s caul or bacon. Give your ideas free reign!
Cooking the roast is child’s play, thanks to the Combair Steamer with its temperature probe.
Take the joint from the fridge and leave to relax. Depending on the marinade you are using, rub it all over and sear well. Insert the temperature probe sideways and set the required core temperature. The meat will then be cooked very gently.
A pork roast will turn a lovely pink colour at a core temperature of 60°C, roast veal requires an internal temperature of 70°C and a gigot of lamb is cooked à point at a core temperature of 67°C.
And then it’s ready for the dinner table – with a bowl of home-made mashed potato, roasted root vegetables and the fine sauce, and of course your nearest and dearest. Roast dinners can make every day a special day!