| Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, I still see | | | | However the advantage of cooking directly on the |
| recipes that insist you should cook meat at high | | | | rungs is that the air circulates freely round the joint, |
| temperature for the first twenty minutes or so to seal | | | | ensuring even cooking, and you can remove the |
| it and then lower the level for the rest of the cooking | | | | roasting tin to make your gravy while leaving the meat |
| time. | | | | where it is. Of course, if you do that, you will want to |
| This has become the fashionable way and I'm not sure | | | | put some kind of drip tray under the joint, but any |
| why. Maybe it has something to do with a lack of time | | | | ovenproof dish will do for that. |
| in an age when both partners tend to work for a living. | | | | Temperatures and cooking times |
| What I am certain about is that this is not the best | | | | Using my method (actually it's Graham Kerr's method |
| way to treat a prime roast. Nor does it 'seal' it. Let's put | | | | which I've adopted but what the heck) you don't need |
| this myth to bed once and for all. | | | | to learn a lot of complicated temperature/time |
| Cooking meat at high temperature, whether in the | | | | formulas. Cook your red meat at |
| oven, on the barbecue or in a pan does not seal it! | | | | 350°F,180°c,gas mark 4. |
| It burns it. That's why it goes brown. And it introduces | | | | Cook poultry at 325°F,160°c,gas mark 3. |
| extra flavor, because the outside of the meat | | | | Calculate your cooking time as 30 minutes for every |
| generally has a covering of fat. Fat is what gives meat | | | | 500 grams (roughly 1lb) of meat. This will produce |
| it's unique flavor. | | | | thoroughly cooked poultry, beef that is well cooked on |
| However adding this crust to the outside of the meat | | | | the outside and rare inside, pink lamb and pork (yes |
| will also speed up the cooking of the rest of the joint, | | | | you can safely eat 'underdone' pork providing the |
| and reduce the amount that remains rare. | | | | internal temperature reaches 145°F. The danger |
| It will not produce the even finish you see in hotel and | | | | bug is trichinae, which dies at temperatures greater |
| restaurant carveries. | | | | than 135°F). |
| To achieve that you need slow, low temperature | | | | Remember to add an extra 30 minutes if you are |
| cooking plus regular basting. | | | | using stuffing. |
| Basting is simply taking the juices from the bottom of | | | | If you want to change anything - alter your cooking |
| the pan and pouring them back over the cooking meat | | | | times accordingly but beware. There is a very thin line |
| from time to time. By doing this, and cooking at the | | | | between meat that is well done and boot leather. If |
| right temperature, you will produce far more succulent | | | | rare meat is more than you can handle, it's a much |
| results. Browning will still take place, but gently, as part | | | | better idea to use my cooking times but then turn the |
| of a process. | | | | oven off and leave the meat in it for a further 30 |
| Let's look at the basic method. | | | | minutes or so. |
| Do you use a roasting tin? Well don't. | | | | Which brings me to one more point; it's very important |
| It's not a good idea to cook meat inside a roasting tin, | | | | to let the meat stand for at least 20 minutes before |
| because the bottom of it tends to be sitting in liquid, | | | | carving. |
| much of which is water. | | | | Why? Because when you heat protein (which is what |
| A much better way is to place the joint directly on the | | | | meat is) it shrinks and toughens. Allowing it to relax and |
| rungs of the oven with the roasting tin underneath it. In | | | | cool a little restores some of its elasticity. |
| this way, you can pack vegetables in the roasting tin | | | | However it will continue to cook for a while after |
| and they will cook nicely in the juices from the meat. | | | | leaving the oven and the internal temperature will |
| If you don't like that idea, because it means you have | | | | increase by as much as a further 10 degrees. Which is |
| to clean the rungs after use, put the meat on top of a | | | | why you need a good 20 minutes resting time. |
| rack in or on the roasting tin instead. You don't need to | | | | Just keep it in a warm place with a sheet of cooking |
| buy a special tin for this, simply use a cake rack or | | | | foil over the top while you prepare the greens and |
| something similar. I have even used two or three | | | | gravy. |
| kebab skewers and rested the joint on those. | | | | |