Roasts are a terrific way to bring family and friends together and they can make for relatively inexpensive and easy entertaining. Once they’re in the oven there is plenty of time to socialise.
Cheaper roasts tend to be sourced from the shoulder of the animal for example beef bolar, lamb forequarter and pork shoulder. They have great flavour but require long, low-heat cooking. More expensive cuts are ‘quick cooks’ and great special occasion roasts. These include: beef fillets — cook at 190-200C for about eight to 10 minutes per 500g; lamb racks that require about 20 minutes at 190°C; and pork fillets that take 30 minutes per 500g at 170C.
Other cheaper beef cuts suitable for roasting include topside from the leg and rolled rib and prime rib from the middle of the animal.
To ensure tenderness, meat should always be returned to room temperature before cooking commences. Weigh the meat to calculate the cooking time.
Whatever the roast, once it is cooked it should stand on a warm plate tented in foil or covered with a basin for 10-15 minutes before carving. For large roasts I like to cover the meat with foil then with a thick towel. The meat settles down — it ‘sets’ — making carving easier and the taste more flavoursome.
Horseradish and bacon bolar
This economical shoulder roast is flavoured with piquant horseradish and the smoky bacon. — the perfect complement for Selaks Prime Red. Get the recipe
Coconut butterflied chicken with tropical sauce
Coconut and chardonnay marry well. Get the recipe
Hoisin lamb rack
The sweetness of the hoisin sauce makes Selaks Founders Pinot Gris the perfect wine match. Get the recipe
Roasted kumara and artichoke loaf
Artichokes usually make for difficult wine matching. However, in this loaf aromatic garlic and lemon flavours are dominant. A great match with chardonnay. Get the recipe
