MEAT
For many a year meals in our household were dominated by British-style meat with three veg.
Of course there were preferences. Roasts were generally well received. Mince was good for making pies, pasties and patties and so was considered acceptable. However, nutritious casseroles were quite another thing. They were spurned at the table as contemptible ‘wet’ dishes by all the children, though they remained a firm favourite with my husband, Robert. My dad, who lived with us for many years, would eat only chops, sausages, steak or a roast. I felt like I was doing menu gymnastics trying to please everyone.
As time went on and the Australian diet became influenced for the better by multiculturalism, we moved onto Italian pasta dishes, Asian stir-fries and Indian curries. As I read The Red Book I could see this progression, slowly but surely. Some of the cut-outs from magazines that I’d pasted in there from the 1980s bear testament to this in small but significant steps.
The recipes in this section of Family Favourites bear the mark of nostalgia from very early days and others have been transformed for more contemporary tastes in later years. Whichever way, they all lend themselves to flexibility and flair by using your own favourite ingredients by way of fresh produce.
General Tips for Roasts
• Take the roast out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking to allow the meat to come to room temperature. Stand in a cool kitchen and certainly out of the sun. Chicken should not be left at room temperature for more than 15 minutes.
• Use a roasting pan that can also be used on the stovetop when it comes time to make the gravy.
• Some cooks like to raise the roast off the base of the roasting pan, by placing it on a small rack or a few egg rings for instance. Another way is to place the meat on a bed of diced vegetables; carrot, celery and onion in equal quantities is a tasty combination. The vegetables also add flavour to the pan juices, which will then make a delicious gravy.
• Baste the meat occasionally with the pan juices as it’s cooking.
• Once the meat is cooked to your preference, cover with foil and leave to stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.
• There are varying opinions on how roasts are best cooked. For decades the recommendation was to cook the meat at a high temperature for about 20 minutes, then reduce to moderate or moderate–low for the remaining time. Some cooks and chefs now argue that it is better to cook the meat at 160–170°C for the entire time, allowing 20 minutes per 500g. Add 20 minutes more if there is stuffing in the roast.
I have another method that works very well for me. I learnt this method from a very bad cook (by her own admission). She had discovered it by accident and was amazed that for once her roast was delicious. The method is to cook the meat at 140ºC, and then towards the end of cooking time, boost the temperature to 200ºC to crisp the outside. As unlikely as it may seem, this really works and I often cook a roast this way nowadays, with the notable exception of a pork roast, which needs the initial boost to encourage the crackling to crisp.
• You can use a meat thermometer to test for the degree of ‘doneness’.
A general guide to internal temperatures is:
| Rare | 55–60°C | |
| Medium-rare | 60–65°C | |
| Medium | 65–70°C | |
| Well done | 75°C |
• Try using a range of spice rubs for a change. An Asian-style rub is delicious with chicken and Indian is especially nice with lamb. Herbs inserted into slits in the meat also make a nice addition. For this, it’s best to use the stronger Mediterranean-style herbs, such as rosemary. Try combining some chopped herbs with a little finely grated lemon or orange rind and salt, and bind with olive oil. Then rub the paste all over the roast before baking.
• For pork crackling, mix vinegar and salt together and spread over the rind. At the end of cooking time if the crackling is not crisp, you can cover the flesh of the meat with foil, leaving crackling area exposed, and place the meat in a hot oven for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can cut the rind off, scrape off and discard any backing fat and then place the crackling between double layers of paper towel. Cook on high in the microwave in 20-second bursts until it crisps.
• You can roast vegetables in the pan under or around the meat or serve them with a range of vegetable dishes complementary to the roast.
• To make gravy from the pan juices, pour off the excess fat and place the pan on the stovetop. Add 1–2 tablespoons red or white wine and cook for 1 minute. Add 1½ cups stock (beef, chicken or vegetable), 2 teaspoons tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons soy sauce and ½ teaspoon brown sugar or quince jelly. Bring to the boil and then thicken with a little cornflour paste if needed (about 2 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 1 tablespoon cold water). Add salt and pepper to taste. If you think it could do with more flavour, try adding a teaspoon or two of sweet chilli sauce.
• For vegetarians, there are many delicious vegetable side dishes that you can cook as separate dishes: my personal favourites are Tomato and Onion Pie or roasted beetroot drizzled at the last minute with pesto and blue cheese.