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The last time I cooked a lamb shoulder joint it was a little chewy and lacked flavour. So deciding to try again with a small joint I cooked it and was pleased with the result. Tender and full of flavour. I cooked it until it was just pink in the middle and I let it rest for about ten minutes.
Just shows really that sometimes it is down to the meat itself and not always the cooking process.
I kind of really wanted to roast a whole leg, however I didn’t have the people to eat it coming round… so in the end I went for a small boneless leg joint.
I placed the joint on some garlic and rosemary, before seasoning the lamb with olive oil and ground black pepper. No salt as I don’t really use salt in cooking any more.
You don’t always have to use expensive cuts of meat to make a wonderful meal, sometimes the cheapest cuts cooked really slowly can have fantastic flavour and texture.
Turn on your oven to its highest temperature.
I chopped some root vegetable, onion and carrot, added some mushrooms and potatoes and placed it in a roasting pan.
I placed the belly pork on the root vegetables and seasoned it. I then placed this in the really hot oven, turning the temperature right down to 160. I then left the pork to roast for about two hours. This may not seem long, but it wasn’t a huge piece of pork like a leg joint.
As it cooked I did add some wine and water now and again to the bottom of the roasting pan, so it didn’t dry out.
The result was a fantastic moist, tender wonderfully flavoured piece of pork. Which I sliced and served with vegetables.
Overall very tasty and a well received on the table.
Take some fresh herbs and mince finely. I used flat leaf parsley, rosemary, sage and basil (basically what I had available).
Add to a bowl of chicken thighs and drumsticks, add olive oil and back pepper. Though you can use a spoon, generally your hands work better, mix the chicken in the oil and herb mix until all the chicken is coated. Leave for at least ten minutes, thirty is better.
Roast on a bed of root vegetables for about 30-40 minutes.
I served the chicken with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli.
You don’t always have to use expensive cuts of meat to make a wonderful meal, sometimes the cheapest cuts cooked really slowly can have fantastic flavour and texture.
I do have a passion for pork belly, and remembering a dish I had my local pub, when I saw a slab of pork belly on sale at Marks and Spencer decided to create my own version.
Turn on your oven to its highest temperature.
I chopped some root vegetable, onion and carrot, added some mushrooms and potatoes and placed it in a roasting pan.
I placed the belly pork on the root vegetables and seasoned it. I then placed this in the really hot oven, turning the temperature right down to 160. I then left the pork to roast for about two hours. This may not seem long, but it wasn’t a huge piece of pork like a leg joint.
As it cooked I did add some wine and water now and again to the bottom of the roasting pan, so it didn’t dry out.
The result was a fantastic moist, tender wonderfully flavoured piece of pork. Which I sliced and served with vegetables.
The pan contained the cooked root veg and the juices and made a wonderfully rich sauce.
Overall very tasty and a well received on the table.
Today we had a lovely piece of roast pork. It was quite a large leg joint roasted on a bed of vegetables (and apple). It was lovely and tender and covered in crispy crackling.
My secret to lovely crisp crackling is as follows. Ensure that the surface of the skin is dry, if it is wet then you will get soggy crackling. Now some cookbooks tell you to rub some salt into the skin. This is not only not necessary, it also makes the cracking too salty! All it needs to be is dry. I also score the skin, this allows heat to get in and crisp up the crackling as well. Makes it easier to carve as well. My cooking technique is relatively simple, set oven to the highest temperature. Place the pork on some root vegetables (this time I used carrot and parsnip). I do add some olive oil onto the skin of the pork. Once I have put the pork in the oven, I turn the temperature down to about 160℃.
This will ensure you have nice and crispy crackling.
Cook for about an hour per kilogramme, I baste the pork about every 40-50 minutes and add more chopped vegetables and chopped apple to the pan when there is about an hour to go; the veg can be onion, carrots, mushrooms and parsnips. Put it in too early it will burn.
When the pork is cooked, allow to sit for a while to rest.
I served the pork with roast potatoes, roasted parsnips and some steamed vegetables.
I made a delicious gravy using the cooking juices and beef stock.
Yesterday we had a lovely piece of roast pork. It was a outdoor reared pork roasted on a bed of vegetables (and apple). It was lovely and tender and covered in crispy crackling.
My technique is relatively simple, set oven to the highest temperature. Place the pork on some root vegetables (this time I used carrot and parsnip). I do add some olive oil onto the skin of the pork. Once I have put the pork in the oven, I turn the temperature down to about 160℃.
Cook for about an hour, I then baste the pork and add more chopped vegetables to the pan, onion, carrots, mushrooms and parsnips. Place back in the oven.
When the pork is cooked, allow to sit for a while to rest.
I served the pork with roast potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted parsnips and some steamed green vegetables.
I made a delicious gravy using the cooking juices and beef stock.
Just put a joint of beef into the oven for lunch today.
I turned the oven to its highest setting, placed the beef joint onto a bed of chopped vegetables, once I placed the roasting tray in the oven, I turned the temperature down to about 180℃ .
Next stage is to start to prepare the potatoes and the veg.
Today I had a very nice (small) lamb roast. It was a neck fillet joint, quite small, but once cooked very tender and very tasty.
I cooked it simply, placed it on a bed of rosemary and splashed a little olive oil on the roast.
Cooked for about 50 minutes, as it was only a 500g joint.
I served it with roast potatoes and vegetables.
Went out for lunch yesterday at my local pub. This is a typical chain type pub with menu to match. Really nothing special, but some interesting stuff on the menu. It use to be so much better, but in the last few years has gone downhill.
On the specials board though this time was Slow Roasted Pork, so I ordered that.
It arrived and I was quite impressed.
I had swapped the mashed potatoes for chips, but I think boiled new potatoes would have been a better option.
The pork was tasty, the crackling was crispy and the veg was crunchy.
I really enjoyed it.