On the O podcast
O’s food editor Anna Glover shares her favourite tips and tricks to guarantee success
Tips and tricks to guarantee you the perfect Sunday roast
Correct kit
Buy a good heavy roasting tin – you don’t want it to buckle in the oven so everything slides to one end and cooks unevenly. Also, make sure the sides of the tin are not too deep – otherwise the heat can’t get to the surface of the joint and crisp it up properly. Plus, if you want to make gravy from the roasting juices, a heavy tin is great for putting straight on the hob at the end.
Temperature control
Roasts will benefit from a blast of heat at the beginning, so start it off hot then drop the temperature down. This is especially true for things like pork belly and chicken, where you are trying to render down the fat and crisp up the skin. In the case of pork belly, you can double up and give it a blast at the end, too, for extra insurance.
For ultimate control, use a thermometer or temperature probe so you can see what stage of doneness your meat is at – this is especially good for
Anna Glover is O’s food editor, and a cookery writer and food stylist. She loves whipping up new creations with well-known ingredients to create easily accessible recipes that everyone can make.
meat such as lamb leg and beef fillet, which you might want to serve rarer – a thermometer will let you measure it to the nearest degree.
Resting
This is one of the most important tips. Think of the meat as a muscle that has contracted and tightened up in the heat. With resting the muscle gets a chance to relax and the juices are redistributed throughout the joint to keep it nice and juicy. For larger joints, anywhere between 20 minutes and an hour is fine. You don’t want to be carving blazingly hot meat – just make sure your gravy is piping hot and everyone will be happy.
Flavour boosters
A dry brine is a great way to add extra flavour. Just mix sea salt flakes with flavourings – woody herbs such as thyme and rosemary are great, or try lemon zest, fennel seeds or smoky paprika. This flavoured salt can be rubbed into the skin of a chicken or joint then left overnight. As well as flavouring, this draws moisture from the surface which means you will get a much crisper skin on chicken or pork, or a lovely crust on beef.