Being our first proper Xmas, I'm planning on doing a full on formal lunch or dinner. Our neighbours gave us some beef and I thought I'd do a roast. Only thing is I've never done one before So I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing how you do a roast (do you just bung it in the oven or... ?) and any hints or tips that you might have. Thanks guys, much appreciated.
it was too big so cook as one piece so i cut it in half and this helped reduce cooking time.
but i did nothing fancy just put it in pan with about an inch of water and bung it in the oven for a couple of hours. Everyone must have liked it cause i have to do it again this year LOL
~I always buy the leanest piece of topside I can, and unwrap it from its plastic straight away, and then smear it with English mustard, & leave it out at room temp for a hour or so.
~ I use an electric frypan to cook it in: for 30 mins per kilo, turning it regularly so it browns all over. I often add red wine or beef stoock to the pan so that it sits in lots of juice (which I then use to make a thin gravy)and doesn't dry out. Like Kathryn suggested, if your piece of beef is huge, cut it in half to reduce the cooking time.
~ Even in summer and all year round in Darwin I cook roast potatoes to go with it, but usually serve salad instead of hot veggies.
~ About 1/2 an hour before we want to eat, I take the beef out of the electric fry pan, and wrap it in foil and leave it to rest and relax.
~ Then I carve it as thinly as possible (I actually use an electric carving knife) and arrange it on a serving plate, and drizzle the gravy over the top, and I usually chuck over a few chopped fresh herbs as well.
When I cook roast beef I use the roasting trays... I slice garlic and score both sides of the beef and slide the garlic in. I also put in 1/4 cup of red wine in & any fresh herbs from my garden, usually Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley... I turn it once during cooking, but I pour the juices over the top every 15 minutes and keep it covered in foil until the last 15 minutes... it depends on the weight of the meat for how long it takes... I usually am cooking for 1 hour at a really low temp because my oven is really hot... or is well over the written temps on the dials...
I might keep in mind some of those yummy ides for myself ive never cooked a roast before, and well as long as anthony's feeling better i might try and suprise him with a roast , if not then ill just do one after xmas
You could also try using oven bags to cook it in. Throw in a bit of seasoned floour (e.g. garlic or salt and pepper - anything) in the bag with the meat - give it a shake, ***** a few holes in it to let the steam out and then shove in the oven - I think about 1/2 hour per 500 gms - check on the bag box - the best thing about this method is that it does not dirty up the oven. Have fun.
I hate pork... especially the crackling... but have had HUGE cravings for it during this pregnancy.
My Mum cooked it for me recently... and all I know is that she scores the skin (cuts lines into it) and she rubs oil over it, then covers it in salt... and it comes out nice and crunchy.
HTH
Lisa
It took me ages to perfect this! I dry the crackling really really well with paper towel then with a fresh piece of towel I rub vinegar into the skin (it needs to be scored. Try and get the butcher to score it for you if you haven't already bought it). After I've applied the vinegar I rub salt into the crackling making sure it gets right into the cracks/scores. I use heaps of salt. The salt and vinegar dries it out which makes it crunchy! YUM! Good luck with it!
Hey Nickers, how'd the crackling go ??? Now you've got me wanting some - can't wait for the pork ribs this weekend, I bbq em up so the crackling on those is done good and proper
oh I meant to write in here. The pork crackling was YUMMO!!
nice and crackly, no rubby parts at all!
so thanks for the tips, good idea to dry it with a paper towl first & vinegar must have helped to.
mmmmm its so bad for you but its sooooooo good!!
just remembered... a few years back I was helping organise a spit at the a sports function... the crackling didn't work on the pig, and someone was about to throw it out. I said give it here and I took it home and put it in the freezer
Over the next 2 or 3 months (maybe not that long), I'd grab bits out and stick it in the oven on high for a little while as a nice little addition to dinner - hmmmm yummmm
BellyBelly Life Member
Roast Recipes & Tips
So I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing how you do a roast (do you just bung it in the oven or... ?) and any hints or tips that you might have. Thanks guys, much appreciated.
ive never cooked a roast before, and well as long as anthony's feeling better i might try and suprise him with a roast
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