J Baker's Roasting Tips

It can be tricky to get that perfect finish for your roasting joint, here are my tips for the best results in the kitchen.

For roasting your celebration joint, I would suggest buying a meat thermometer; a really useful tool to get your favourite joints just how you like them to be. Always be sure to jot down the weight of your joint before starting, then take out of the chiller and allow to get to room temperature.

Roasting on a trivet is an excellent way to roast a joint, resting on vegetables, (a large cut onion, carrot, and celeriac is my preferred choice, and adding a split bulb of garlic if I'm roasting lamb). The trivet ensures aromatic cooking, preventing the base from drying out, while also providing the base for your gravy. Before roasting pat dry any excess moisture to ensure the joint can roast more evenly, and which will help with the caramalization (Maillard reaction).

Always pre-heat your oven! When preparing the oven I start nice and hot at around 225c. For pork I score the skin all over - a good tip is to use a Stanley blade - then scald the rind with boiling water. Before roasting rub you're joint (whether pork, lamb, or beef) with sea salt and a little goose or duck fat, if there's not a healthy coating of natural fat there already. Place on the trivet and roast for 20 minutes.

Next reduce the heat to 175c. For beef and lamb keep roasting for 20 minutes per 500g, and pork 30 minutes per 500g. When using the thermometer I suggest the perfect core temperatures are 54c for medium rare beef, 58c for pink lamb, and 65c for pork once the joints are cooked

Be sure to leave the joint to rest before carving for up to half the cooking time to let the proteins relax.