How To Cook The Perfect Roast

So many of us grew up with the Sunday roast. Mum would “throw the meat” in the oven with some dripping and it would cook itself! Somehow, it always worked, tasted tender and succulent and was considered an easy-to-cook meal.

Here are a few easy tips on how to cook the perfect roast, whether it is beef or lamb:

• Ensure the meat is at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 180°C for lamb, and 230°C for beef.
• Rub some oil into the meat, rather than splashing oil in the roasting dish.
• Season the meat with salt and pepper.
• Brown in a hot pan for a few minutes on each side – a cast iron pan works really well.
• Continue cooking in a moderate oven. The general rule for doneness for a lamb leg roast is 25-30 minutes per 500g for medium and 30-35 minutes per 500g if you like it well done. And for a (1.5kg) topside roast of beef, roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 230°C, then turn the heat down to 170°C and roast for a further 40 minutes. If you’re using a meat thermometer, see the link below to our topside roast product; it has a temperature doneness guide.
• Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving. Keep your roast covered with tinfoil and tea towels to keep it warm while it’s resting.
• And if you love gravy – check out our gravy recipe

Check out our roasts of beef and lamb for sale.

And we have a couple of delicious recipes for boneless roast lamb and roast beef.