How to Cook Roasts

Whether it's beef, lamb or turkey, roasts are classic crowd pleasers. Learning how to cook a classic roast for special occasions or a simple weeknight dinner is a life skill that's guaranteed to be appreciated.

Roast beef
Enhance this seasoned beef roast by serving with optional vegetables, gravy and Yorkshire puddings.

Ingredients (serves six)
1.8kg (approx) beef ribs
12 small onions
2 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
1 tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard powder

Season the standing rib roast with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and gently pat mustard powder and a little flour onto the fatty side. Place in a roasting pan with onions and roast in a preheated oven at 230°C for 20 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 180°C and continue to roast for 1 hour (if rare), with an additional 15 minutes for medium or an extra 30 minutes for well-done. Optional vegetables can be added and basted with pan juices during this time.

Transfer the roast to a serving platter, cover in foil and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Carve using a sharp knife.

Roast lamb
Try this recipe for a flavourful lamb roast with stuffing, and roast potatoes and veg as optional sides.

Ingredients (serves four)
2kg boned leg of lamb
400g spinach
80g feta
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tbsp oregano
3 tsp thyme
Salt

Prepare the stuffing while preheating the oven to 250°C. Rinse and finely chop spinach and combine with half of the chopped herbs, egg yolk, feta, shallot and salt in a heatproof bowl. Cut open the lamb leg, spoon the stuffing into the centre and close using kitchen string and a skewer.

Make incisions in the lamb and roast on a preheated roasting pan for 10 minutes with the fat side down. Turn the leg over and brush with olive oil and the remaining herbs, then roast for another 50 minutes at 200°C, adding vegetables half-way if preferred.

Remove the roast from the oven, remove the kitchen string and leave to rest under foil for 20 minutes before serving.

Roast turkey
Make the perfect stuffed turkey roast, served with optional gravy, roast potatoes, pumpkin or steamed green beans.

Ingredients (serves 10)
4kg frozen turkey
30g butter
4 slices pancetta
2 cloves garlic
1 egg
1 leek
1 granny smith apple
2 cups sourdough breadcrumbs
2 cups water
1 cup walnut halves
2 tbsp fresh sage
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C while prepare the stuffing. Melt 20g butter in a frying pan and add the garlic, leek whites and pancetta for 5 minutes or until the leek becomes soft, then transfer to a heatproof bowl and combine with finely chopped and cored apple, freshly made breadcrumbs, lightly whisked egg, sage and walnut, adding salt and pepper for seasoning.

Remove the neck from the turkey if present and rinse under cold water. Open and fill with the breadcrumb mixture, sealing with kitchen string, then place in a roasting pan with the breast side facing up and wings tucked underneath.

Add water to the pan, brush the turkey with the remaining butter, cover in foil and roast for 2 hours, basting at 30-minute intervals. Remove the foil and roast for 1 further hour until the juices run clear. Remove the kitchen string and allow the roast to cool for 20 minutes under foil before carving.

Now all you need to do is head to Woolworths for all your ingredients and start cooking up a storm!