Cooks tips from Sheepdrove's kitchen

A Matter of Size

As a general rule, the more people you are catering for, the less food per head you need to provide. For instance, while you need 225g stewing beef per head for six people, 175g per head will feed sixty people.

Whole chicken and turkey – 500g per person
Roast beef, lamb or pork on the bone – 350g per person
Boneless beef, lamb or pork – 225g per person
Lamb rack or cutlets – 3 – 4 per person
Mince – 175g per person

Roasting and Resting Times

Beef and Lamb Joints

Up to 2kg

1. Roast for 20 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below –

Up to 3kg

1. Roast for 30 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below -

Up to 5kg

1. Roast for 40 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below –

Over 5kg

1. Roast for 40 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below –

RARE 10minutes per 500g
MEDIUM 15 minutes per 500g
WELL DONE 20 minutes per 500g

Pork Joints

Up to 2kg

1. Roast for 20 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below –

Up to 3kg

1. Roast for 30 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below –

Up to 5kg

1. Roast for 40 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining cooking time according to the guide below -

Over 5kg

1. Roast for 40 minutes at 210C (Gas 6)
2. Turn oven down to 160C (Gas 3) and calculate the remaining time according to the guide below –

WELL DONE 25 minutes per 500g

Resting is Important

Always rest the joint for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Any roast benefits from a rest after cooking to allow the juices to be redistributed and the meat fibres to relax. Cover the joint loosely with foil or leave in the turned off oven with the door ajar.

Bone-in Versus Boneless

Bone-in means less shrinkage and moister, tastier meat, since bones retain juices and will add flavour to a braise or sauté. But bone-in will take a bit longer to cook, while completely boneless roasts are certainly easier to carve and slice well with little waste. If you do choose boneless roasts over bone-in, remember to baste regularly.

How to Make a Simple Jus

Remove the cooked roast from the roasting tin and set it aside, loosely covered, to rest. Pour off any excess fat, place the roasting tin over medium heat and add 150ml of any flavourful stock (see our Stockpot Bags in our poultry section). Bring the stock to the boil and scrape the bottom of the tin to dissolve all the roasting particles. Season to taste and drizzle over the sliced roast.

How to Make Perfect Crackling

Soggy skin is the enemy of crisp and crunchy crackling, so keep pork for roasting uncovered and wiped dry with kitchen paper. Wipe again just before cooking, rub generously with salt and pop into the oven to roast – don’t baste as it cooks.

Rosie Treuille (nee Kindersley) owner of Books for Cooks, Notting Hill (020 7221 1992) gave us these tips for roasting and we have found them very useful.