Perfect Sunday Roast Food

SUNDAY RIB ROAST

Steps:

• Two hours before roasting, remove the meat from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (see Cook's Note).
• Place the oven rack on the second lowest position.
• Place the roast in a pan large enough to hold it comfortably, bone-side down, and spread the top thickly with the salt and pepper. Roast the meat for 45 minutes. Without removing the meat from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast for another 30 minutes. Finally, increase the temperature to 450 degrees F and roast for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat is 125 degrees F. (Be sure the thermometer is exactly in the center of the roast.) The total cooking time will be between 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 hours. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
• Remove the roast from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board. Cover it tightly with aluminum foil and allow the meat to rest for 20 minutes. Carve and serve with the sauce.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and salt in a small bowl.

PERFECT POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.
• Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.
• Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.
• If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
• With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.
• Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.
• Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it's fall-apart tender.

SUNDAY POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using paper towels, pat the roast dry to help get a great crust on the meat. Sprinkle the roast generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until glossy. Add the roast and brown on all sides. Remove and transfer to a cutting board or a large plate.
• Add more oil to the pot if needed, along with the carrots, celery and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fresh herb bundle and cook until the vegetables start to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Add 3/4 cup of the red wine and reduce by half, scraping up the seared bits and incorporating them into the juice. Then return the roast to the pot and add the beef broth. Bring the liquid to a simmer before covering with a tight-fitting lid and placing the pot in the oven. Allow the roast to cook until fork tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning once halfway through.
• Remove from the oven and transfer the roast to a large cutting board. Tent with foil while the roast rests. Placing the Dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1/4 cup of red wine to the liquid and reduce by half at a simmer, about 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Shred the roast into big chunks and toss with the jus.
• For the herb salad: Toss the watercress and picked parsley with the lemon juice and olive oil to taste. Season with salt and pepper and top with the toasted almonds
• Serve on top of the Risotto Cakes and top with the fresh herb salad.
• For the risotto: In a medium saucepan, heat the chicken broth to a simmer. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots to the butter, cooking until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and lightly toast, stirring to coat in the butter and shallots. Add the white wine, continuing to cook while stirring until the wine is absorbed. You should be able to run your spoon through the risotto and have the indentation stay.
• Using a ladle, add enough of the warm chicken broth to cover the rice, stirring constantly over medium heat until the broth is completely absorbed. Repeat the process 3 more times, adding the broth in stages while continuing to stir. Once all of the chicken broth has been added and the rice is tender, add the peas, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir to combine.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, mozzarella and season with salt and pepper. Cool the risotto by spreading it evenly over a sheet tray. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Once the risotto is cooled, form the mixture into burger-size patties, about 1-inch thick. Set up a dredging station with the flour in one dish, beaten eggs in another and panko breadcrumbs in another. Dip the rice patties into the flour, then into the eggs and finally coat them in the panko breadcrumbs.
• In a large skillet, heat 1/2-inch vegetable oil over medium heat until a pinch of panko sizzles when dropped in the oil. Working in batches of 2 to 3, fry the risotto cakes until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side (use a fish spatula under the cake and the back of a fork on top to help stabilize while flipping). Transfer to a wire rack, which will help them stay crispy. Season with salt and they are ready to serve. Yield: 6 large cakes.

SUNDAY'S BEST PORK ROAST

Steps:

• Rinse pork with cold water.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Poke holes, about 5, in pork roast.
• Place garlic in holes.
• Mix dry soup mix with 2 cups warm water.
• Pour over roast.
• Roast covered in oven for three hours.

PERFECT ROASTIES - ROAST POTATOES FOR ENGLISH SUNDAY LUNCH

Steps:

• Par-boil the potatoes first.
• Once they are peeled and cut into similar sizes (small potatoes in two, large ones in four), put the potatoes into cold, salted water and bring to the boil. As soon as they start boiling, boil for about 5 to 6 minutes, then drain all the water off (keeping some for the gravy later), let some of the steam evaporate off, then put the lid on securely and shake the potatoes in the pan until the edges are roughened and fluffed up.
• Add the flour and shake again, to coat all the potatoes in a thin coating of flour. This is what will absorb the hot oil to make a crisp surface as the potatoes roast. Leave the lid off now so they dry a little until the oil is ready.
• Heat the oil first.
• In a roasting pan, that is large enough to take the potatoes in a single layer, put enough vegetable oil, duck fat or goose fat to cover the bottom with ease. The potatoes mustn't be bathed in the oil, so keep it less than ½ cm or ¼ inch deep.
• Put the tray into the hot oven (200°C/400°F) for 10 minutes before the potatoes need to go inches Once the oil is smoking hot, put the potatoes in so they sizzle and turn them around so they are all coated in the hot fat/oil, then return the tray to the oven to roast. The potatoes can be turned two or three times during cooking.
• Timing.
• The potatoes need to stay in the hot oven until the very last minute when you are ready to serve lunch. If they hang around keeping warm they lose their crisp edge and gradually dwindle into leathery bullets. They need 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours at 200°C/400°F to reach optimum crispiness. Time the meat to be ready 10 minutes before them, so it can rest, you can make the gravy and summon the troops to table, and only then produce the potatoes still sizzling from the oven, and sprinkled with freshly milled sea salt.
• (If people are late in arriving for lunch, the potatoes can take another 10-15 minutes getting even more crispy in the oven, but after that I'd just get on and eat them without the latecomers!).
• Roasting tin.
• I get the crispiest results from my enamel roasting tins. Pyrex or glass trays result in softer, less crispy potatoes. Metal trays are also excellent for roasting potatoes.
• Temperature.
• Keep the hottest part of the oven for the potatoes. Juggling the roast meat, roast potatoes and everything in a small oven is tricky but the potatoes will only get crisp if they can roast in blazing heat for a while. If all else fails, when the meat comes out, turn the oven up to the highest heat and put the potatoes on the top shelf for a blasting. Last on the list of emergency remedies, put them under a hot grill (broiler) for the last five minutes while you are getting the table ready.