How to roast in the oven

How to roast

1. Preheat oven according to the cut and weight of beef or lamb you are roasting (use guide below).
2. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting dish. Brush lightly with oil and season with a little salt and pepper and any other flavourings of your choice.
3. Cook for calculated time basting occasionally.
4. Remove from the oven when cooked to the desired degree. Transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes before carving across the grain for optimum tenderness.

Tips for top results

Set Your Oven to the Right Temperature

Choose the temperature according to the type of food you're roasting. Vegetables usually need a moderate temperature near 180-190°C so that internal water evaporates quickly to concentrate the flavour without the vegetables browning too deeply or becoming too soft.

With regards to meat, you want to use low (120°C) to moderate (190°C) heat for large roasts so they'll cook evenly and slowly (high heat would burn the outside of the roast before it's done on the inside). High-heat (above 200°) roasting works well for small, tender cuts such as tenderloins because it quickly produces a browned crust, and the meat cooks adequately in a short time.

Cook meat from room temperature:

If possible, take the meat from refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. This will allow enough time for the beef or lamb to come to room temperature and result in more even cooking.

Brown meat first

This will improve flavour, particularly when using small, very lean cuts that only need to cook for a short amount of time.

Use a meat rack

This will allow even heat circulation and browning.

Carve across the grain

This will result in optimum tenderness. Click here for a basic guide.

Basting isn’t always necessary

Whether you should baste meat or leave it alone as it cooks depends on various factors. A standing rib roast, for example, should not be basted because one of its best features is the salty crust that forms over the meat as it roasts; you wouldn't want to wash that away. While many people like basting roast lamb, frequent basting also means you're opening the oven door and letting the heat escape, which could lengthen the cook time or prevent the meat from properly browning. Understand that basting isn't necessary to keep food moist.

All meat needs to rest

Resting is one of the most important steps as it enables the temperature to even out and the meat fibres to relax and reabsorb some of the juices. All meat should rest for 10 to 20 minutes after it's removed from the oven. Larger cuts―a standing rib roast, for example―retain enough internal heat so that they continue to cook out of the oven. Smaller cuts do not have enough mass to continue cooking by more than a couple of degrees.