Cook Roast for MAX Flavour

Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, I still see recipes that insist you should cook meat at high temperature for the first twenty minutes or so to seal it and then lower the level for the rest of the cooking time. Cooking meat at high temperature, whether in the oven, on the barbecue or in a pan does not seal it, it burns it and it changes the taste, because the outside of the meat generally has a covering of fat. Fat is what gives meat its unique flavor.
 
It’s not a good idea to cook meat covered inside a roasting tin. A much better way is to place the roast directly on the rungs of the oven with the roasting tin underneath it. In this way, you can pack vegetables in the roasting tin and they will cook nicely in the juices from the meat.

If you don’t like that idea, because it means you have to clean the rungs after use, put the meat on top of a rack in or on the roasting tin instead. You don’t need to buy a special tin for this, simply use a cake/cookie cooling rack or something similar. I have even used two or three kebab skewers and rested the roast on those in the roaster with the lid removed the whole time. When cooking the roast in the Crock Pot, I even use a rack to elevate the meat from the bottom of the pan.
 
COOKING IN OVEN
Cook your red meat at 350°F, 180°C, or gas mark 4.


Calculate your cooking time as 30 minutes for every 500 grams (roughly 1lb) of meat. This will produce thoroughly cooked beef that is well cooked on the outside and rare inside.

If you want to change anything - alter your cooking times accordingly but beware. There is a very thin line between meat that is well done and boot leather. If rare meat is more than you can handle, it’s a much better idea to use my cooking times but then turn the oven off and leave the meat in it for a further 30 minutes or so.

Which brings me to one more point; it’s very important to let the meat stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Why? Because when you heat protein (which is what meat is) it shrinks and tightens. Allowing it to relax and cool a little restores some of its elasticity.

However it will continue to cook for a while after leaving the oven and the internal temperature will increase by as much as a further 10 degrees. Which is why you need a good 20 minutes resting time.

Just keep it in a warm place with a sheet of cooking foil over the top while you prepare the greens and gravy.

COOKING IN CROCKPOT

WHether frozen or thawed, cook on low, elevated to keep it up from the juices for better roasting. If thawed, cook for 5-6 hrs. If frozen, cook for 8-9 hours, checking at 6hrs.