My, what a meaty weekend I had. We had a beautiful leg of lamb on Sunday, stuffed to the brim with anchovies, rosemary and garlic.
Living with just one other often means it isn't really viable to have a roast dinner; you might as well get yourself a steak, or a lamb or pork chop instead.
I've completely abandoned the idea of a Sunday roast pub lunch - I haven't had a single decent one in recent memory. Often you get thin, grey meat, so over-cooked you can't even differentiate what meat it is. Sad yellowing vegetables that have had a time and a half under hot lamps to keep them warm swim around the plate in a limp, salty Bisto-like sea of death. On one occasion, perfectly square wafer-thin slices of stuffing resembling a minature piece of MDF even had the audacity to wink at me from my over-priced plate in a trendy N1 pub (yes, you, Keston Lodge. Tsk!).
So, what about roasts? For me, leg of lamb must be pink for tender, juicy meat. The highest heat for 20 mins to caramelise the outside of the roast, and then 15 minutes per 450gr and a good long rest, perhaps 40 minutes. Served with boulangere potatoes, simply steamed broccoli and carrots and a dribble of gravy made from the juices. Heaven.
That looks amazing! We often roast a large joint of meat on a Sunday, we both love leftovers for sandwiches the next day or with baked potatoes or in a stir-fry for a quick Monday night dinner.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree about pub lunches too, what on earth do they do to the roast potatoes?
I love a good roast dinner and nothing beats a homemade one with a decent hunk of meat.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree that a roast dinner isn't a viable option for a household of just two people.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, if you buy a joint the size you'd buy for a meal for 4 you can simply use the leftovers for another meal for the two of you during the week.
Or, just buy a wee joint - we've usually been able to find smaller joints that are just as juicy and tasty as larger ones!
That meat looks so good, it's making me hungry.
ReplyDeleteI am all for doing a roast for 2 and then using the left overs for sandwiches or meals.
Last christmas OH and I had a rib of beef that was suppose to feed 8 - it feed 2 ( for 2 days ) ;o)
Thanks Kavey & Mrs G: I suppose you're right, you could use the leftovers for other meals, but often I get gripped with the panic that I'll be eating the same thing all week! I'll have a look out for smaller joints.
ReplyDeleteI used to do small half legs of lamb for the two of us. There was usually only enough left over for a hefty pitta bread lunch for each of us the next day.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about pub roasts. I rarely order them myself (because I tend to have girly salads at lunch to fend off afternoon lethargy) but, from seeing Goon's, I have often thought, 'How do they get them SO wrong!?' We're really lucky to live near a fantastic gastropub and their roasts, like everything else they do are perfect- beef rare, potatoes crisp. Of course, they're being bought out soon. :(
Found you from the BBC food site.
ReplyDeleteWonderful blog.
Couldn't agree more about the Sunday roast!! If you have problems where you live - you should try finding somewhere decent to eat in my part of the world.
Lizzie, this looks amazing. It reminds me of Sunday roasts with my aunt, who's Scottish and a real meat-eater and fan of hearty meals. I can just imagine the flavour of the lamb...
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