COOKING A ROAST

Perhaps there’s no other Australian dish that evokes as much nostalgia as the humble roast. Whether it be lamb, beef, pork, chicken or other, the savoury aroma appeals to all meat-lovers.

I have to confess that roasting meat to perfection has never been my area of strength, so I’ve needed to find ways to do it justice. It’s taken time and a great deal of practice to become competent at roasts, but now I can share the benefit of all my research and experimentation with you.

GENERAL TIPS FOR ROASTING

•  When buying a piece of meat for roasting, discuss with your butcher the cut best suited to your needs.

•  If the piece of meat or poultry has been frozen, be sure to thaw thoroughly in the fridge before roasting.

•  Take the meat or poultry out of the fridge 20–30 minutes before cooking. Stand in a cool kitchen for preference, and certainly out of the sun.

•  It’s preferable to use a roasting pan that can also be used on the stovetop when it comes time to make the gravy.

•  Raise the roast off the base of the roasting tin by using a small rack, for instance. Another way is to place it on a bed of diced vegetables – carrot, celery and onion in equal quantities is a tasty combination; they 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 liking, remove from the roasting pan, 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, it was suggested to cook the meat at a high temperature for about 20 minutes, then reduce to medium or medium–low and cook for the remaining time. Nowadays, some would argue that this might toughen the meat. So I err on the side of caution and cook at the one temperature, as per the table on page, for the entire time.

•  However, occasionally this means the roast does not develop that lovely crisp outer skin. When this happens, I simply take it out of the pan and brown it on a skillet on the stovetop, then rest as usual. Or place it under the grill for a few moments. You can choose whichever method suits you best.

•  For the ever-popular pork crackling, mix vinegar and salt together and spread over the rind. At the end of cooking time, if the crackling isn’t crisp, you can cover the lower portion (flesh) of the meat with foil and place the meat in a hot oven for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can cut the rind off, scrape off any backing fat (and discard it) and then place the crackling between double layers of paper towels and cook on High in the microwave in 20 second bursts until it crisps.

•  In the later stages of cooking, you can roast root vegetables in the pan under or around the meat, turning once.

•  To make gravy from the pan juices, pour off the excess fat and place the pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add 1–2 tablespoons red or white wine and cook for 1 minute. Add 1½ cups (375ml) stock (beef, chicken or vegetable), 2 teaspoons tomato sauce (ketchup), 2 teaspoons soy sauce and ½ teaspoon apricot jam or quince or redcurrant jelly. Bring to the boil, and then thicken with a little cornflour paste if needed (about 2 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with 1½tablespoons cold water). Add salt and pepper to taste. If you think it could do with more flavour, try adding a teaspoonful or two of sweet chilli sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce.

GUIDE TO COOKING ROASTS

This chart is a general guide only – much will depend on your own oven, as some are fiercer than others. (Note: Fan-forced not given, as roasts are best cooked without the fan function.)

THE VEGETARIAN OPTION

For those who like to eat the vegetarian way, here is a tasty roast, complete with a delicious gravy, just for you.

BAKED CHICKPEA AND TOFU LOAF

Serves 4

    1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped

    2 teaspoons chopped chives

    2 tablespoons chopped parsley

    2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves

    400g tin chickpeas, drained

    250g firm tofu, roughly chopped

    1 tablespoon soy sauce

    2 rounded tablespoons peanut butter (either smooth or crunchy)

    2 teaspoons tahini

    1 teaspoon olive oil

    1 egg, lightly beaten

    ½ cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

    ½ cup (75g) wholemeal flour

    ¼ teaspoon salt

    Gravy

    1½ cups (375ml) vegetable stock

    2 teaspoons tomato sauce (ketchup)

    2 teaspoons red or white wine

    2 teaspoons soy sauce

    2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce

    ½ teaspoon brown sugar or redcurrant or quince jelly

    2 teaspoons cornflour, mixed to a paste with

    1 tablespoon cold water

    Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf tin with cooking oil spray, and then line the base with baking paper; grease again.

          Put the onion, chives, parsley, oregano and chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor, and process until finely chopped.

          Add the tofu, process again until smooth, then add the rest of the loaf ingredients, and process until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

          Spoon the loaf mixture into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the loaf has cooked through and the top is golden. Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes. To serve, cut into thick slices and top with warm gravy.

          For the gravy, combine the stock, tomato sauce, wine, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and brown sugar or jelly in a saucepan, and bring to the boil.

          Whisk in the cornflour paste, and cook until the gravy has reduced by one third. Add salt and pepper to taste.