A toast to the roast

Roasting rules

• When buying meat for roasting, don’t make the mistake of thinking that leaner is better. The best roasting cuts have a good proportion of fat to add succulence and prevent the end result being dry. If you’re unsure, ask the butcher to recommend a cut that’s good for roasting. Also, now that beef on the bone is back, try to use a bone-in joint. The bone will help conduct heat and allow the meat to cook evenly, retaining as many juices as possible.
• Cook meat or chicken in an oven preheated to a high temperature (220C/425F/gas mark 7) for 10 minutes or so before turning the oven down to its normal cooking temperature. This will help form a crisp crust on the meat, browning it and sealing in the juices.
• Don’t season meat with salt before cooking, as it can draw juices out, giving a dry, tasteless result. The exception to this is pork, if you want crackling.
• You don’t need to add extra fat, as long as the meat has enough fat within it. However, to help avoid a dry dinner, you can baste the meat a few times during cooking (but not pork, because of the crackling).
• ‘Resting’ the meat is crucial. Juices rise to the surface of the meat during cooking, and if you leave your cooked joint, covered, in a warm place for about 30 minutes, these juices will sink back into the meat, giving a moist result throughout. I always use this resting time to turn the roast potatoes up and make the gravy.