Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes the pressure to cook the perfect roast for all the family. If you’re hosting the celebration this year, it can be a worrying time. After all, we aren’t all great cooks, and getting a roast just right can be a real challenge. Luckily, we’ve got some expert advice to help you prepare a roast that’s more delicious than ever in this helpful article.
A Beef Roast – Perfect For Easter
If you’re preparing the roast this year, consider choosing beef. It doesn’t so often appear on American dinner tables these days, but it’s particularly delicious and surprisingly simple to cook. What could be tastier than slices of juicy beef with some simple side dishes?
Before you can cook your beef joint, you need to choose the right one for you. Always choose a joint which has the bone in. This will ensure maximum flavor as well as a more impressive visual effect. On the other hand, if you’re trying to keep to a tighter budget, you should choose a bottom or top round roast. It isn’t always easy to know which joint is the best. Always look for one which has a dark red color as this points towards it having been properly aged. You should also look for a thick fat covering. We know that isn’t very healthy, but it will add more flavor while also protecting the meat from becoming too dry as it cooks. You can take off the fat layer before you serve the meat if you’re worried about the healthiness of your diet! You should also look for marbling in your joint – this is small lines of fat which run through the meat. This also helps preserve moisture and add flavor.
You need to ensure that you have enough meat to serve everyone at your table. In general, the rule is one rib for every two diners, or a minimum of a half pound each if you’re hoping for some leftovers. If you’re serving around 4 – 6 people, you should seek out a roast weighing 5.5lbs with the bone in or 3lbs with the bone removed. If you end up with too much meat, you don’t need to worry. There’s plenty you can do with cold roast beef!
How To Cook Your Beef
The first tip for cooking your joint is to allow it to reach room temperature before putting it into the oven. Put the joint into your cooking pan and use plenty of pepper and salt to taste. A large roaster will make cooking easier. Turn the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and allow it to reach that temperature before putting the joint in. Leave it at this temperature for half an hour, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees F until it’s cooked. The length of time will depend on how you want to serve your meat. If you want it to be well done, you should calculate the amount of time at 16 minutes for each pound of weight. If you’re hoping for a medium roast, 14 minutes per pound is the ideal time, while those who prefer to serve rare beef will need to calculate the time at 11 minutes per pound. Always use a meat thermometer to test the beef’s temperature, by inserting it into the joint’s thickest part. If the temperature is under 145 degrees Fahrenheit you’ll need to cook it for longer. Allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes minimum before serving. Remember that the temperature increases by up to 10 degrees during this resting period, so you can take it out of the oven before it reaches its target temperature if you like. These are the temperatures to aim for:
- Rare – 120 degrees
- Medium – 145 degrees
- Well done – 165 degrees
Resting Your Joint
The longer you can allow your roast to rest the better. Put it onto a warm dish and cover with foil loosely. Leave for up to 20 minutes to allow the meat’s muscle fibers to relax. This will also allow for the meat juices to be redistributed and the result will be a tender roast.
