Page 71 - YC Cooking School

Mastering Meat 1

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Top tips for perfect roasting

Roasting is defined as using intense dry heat in order to caramelise and crisp the outside of
the meat. Traditionally, roasting was applied to whole carcasses or large joints on a spit over
open coals. Nowadays though, most of us don’t need to cater for a whole village, so a roast
usually refers to cooking red meat or poultry in an oven. Along with these, you can also
roast fish and vegetables including the all-time classic, roast potatoes.

Use prime cuts
Unlike stews, braises or even cured and smoked dishes, roasts are unadorned.
Because there’s nowhere to hide, it’s really important to use the best quality
meat you can find. Unless you’re roasting an entire animal, these prime cuts are
the best ones to use:

Beef: rump, sirloin, fillet, rib eye
Lamb: leg, rack, saddle
Pork: loin
Poultry: it’s always best to use the whole bird
Err on the side of plenty
The bigger the piece of meat, the more forgiving the roasting process will be.
Also, if you do a good job with your roast, there probably won’t be much left over
at the end of the meal.
Use a liberal splash of olive oil
This will help your salt and pepper seasoning stick to the meat, which will

develop the glorious crust that makes a roast so delicious.

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