Learning how to cook meat can seem like a real challenge for the inexperienced cook. The reality though, is that cooking meat is a breeze provided you understand the basics.
Roasting is one of the simplest ways to learn how to cook meat, if you plan on entertaining a group of friends and family then a good roast is a sure fire bet for a meal most people will enjoy.
Speak to your butcher about the size of joint which you will need, if you are unsure then letting him know how many people you plan to feed will give him an idea of how much you will need. A half joint is ample for two or three people, if you are planning on more then you will need a whole leg of meat.
Let us imagine you want to roast a nice leg of lamb with all the trimmings. Where do you begin? Well lamb needs very little preparation so it is the perfect joint for you when you are learning how to cook meat.
A two or three kg leg of lamb is a good sized joint to start with, you may want to consider adding rosemary to your roast as this herb is the perfect compliment to the flavour of lamb, in which case always buy fresh herbs if you can…the flavour is far stronger than that of dried.
Place your joint in the roasting tin and with a very sharp knife, cut some slits across the top of the meat; make the slits around one inch deep. Take some freshly sliced garlic and press it into the slits, the flavour of the garlic will infuse the meat as it roasts.
You’re well on your way to learning how to cook meat now and it’s not so difficult is it?
Take your rosemary sprigs and give them a gentle rub in-between your palms, this bruises the herbs allowing the flavours to seep out.
Place the sprigs of rosemary beneath the leg of lamb and add some on top too, this will fully enable the herb to flavour the meat as the heat from the oven does its magic.
For cooking times, a good rule of thumb is 15 minutes per 500 grams and then another ten minutes on top of that. This will ensure that your joint is roasted medium-well and not overcooked. Lamb is always better when served slightly pink in the middle. Allow the meat to sit untouched for fifteen minutes before you cut into it and serve with roasted vegetables and mint sauce. Now you know how to cook meat…easy isn’t it?
