23
Dec
Perfecting the Christmas roast…with a little help from Little Pigs Didsbury!
It’s fair to say
that Didsbury’s Little Pigs
butchers know a thing or two about perfecting a Christmas roast. Whether
it’s classic turkey or a juicy beef joint, they’ve put together some of their
tips and tricks to help you serve up a scrumptious feast this Christmas Day.
Some rules go
for all roasts:
- Remove your meat
from the fridge around half an hour (an hour for turkey crowns) before cooking.
- Before cooking,
cover and leave on the side until your joint reaches room temperature.
- After cooking, always
rest your meat in a warm place before serving – cover with foil and allow the
juices to re-absorb.
Depending on
what you’ve ordered in for the big day, some specific rules apply…
Classic turkey
crown
The roasting
rules…
- Baste your
turkey regularly by spooning over the meat juices every 20 minutes – this step
is really important!
- The best way to
check if your turkey is ready is with a meat thermometer – poultry should
always be fully cooked through, at a temperature of 75°C, with juices running
clear.
Perfectly
cooked pork
The roasting
rules…
- For the best
crackling, ensure the skin is thoroughly dry and rub in coarse salt after
scoring.
- Again, use a
meat thermometer to check that your pork is fully cooked through to 75-80°C
Tip-top lamb
and beef
The roasting
rules…
- Again, check
with a meat thermometer at the thickest part of your joint to check it is
cooked through. For a rare joint, the temperature should be 45-50°C, for
well-done aim for 65-75°C.
We hope your
Christmas feast is a huge success!
