Photos
Yet some cooks suffer from a fear of roasting. Maybe they’ve been burned in the past — using the wrong cooking method or not using an instant-read thermometer — and ruined a pricey cut.
Betty Rosbottom has heard lots of sad tales. So the cooking teacher and cookbook author set out to “dispel some of the fear that comes with doing a roast” with “Sunday Roasts: A Year’s Worth of Mouthwatering Roasts” (Chronicle Books, $24.95).
Whether you’re new to the kitchen or a roasting regular, Rosbottom’s recipes and coaching (market tips, a guide to quick-cooking roasts, less pricey cuts, etc.) are designed to help you choose the right roast for a holiday or Sunday dinner.
Her mantra? “Get to know your butcher,” Rosbottom says. “I don’t go to a special butcher shop, but I do go to a local market and chain store, and they have a butcher in each of those. Don’t hesitate to push that bell, and if you show an interest in what you’re buying and if you’re polite, you will not believe how much extra help you’ll get.”
Such as? Cooking tips. Better deals. “Just question the butcher and ask, ‘Do you like this? Do you think this is good when it’s cooked?’
“Because so many markets have prepackaged meats, we often don’t learn about all the other parts of the animal that we can use. You might see lamb chops, but maybe only at Easter you see a leg of lamb. You never see a standing rib pork roast. You never see the racks. You have to ask for that. But the butchers are willing to do it.”
And be prepared: Use a good, heavy, flameproof roasting pan, she says. “When you finish roasting, if you want to make a pan sauce, that pan can be set on flame and not be a problem.”
Racks of Pork
Prep: 20 minutes active; 1 hour, 10 minutes cooking; 1 hour, 50 minutes resting
Makes 10 servings
1/2 cup olive oil
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 racks of pork, 3 pounds per rack, 5 ribs each
1-1/2 pounds medium red onions
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Note: Ask the butcher to prepare the racks so they can be sliced into chops: “Remove feather and chine bones, trim meat between rib bones and leave a thin layer of fat on the exterior of ribs.”
Whisk together olive oil and curry in a small bowl. Brush all pork surfaces with half of the oil mixture; reserve remaining oil. Let racks rest at room temperature, 1-1/2 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel onions; cut into 1-inch wedges, leaving root ends intact. Salt and pepper pork racks on all sides. Put a large, heavy roasting pan or tray over one or two burners on medium high heat. When pan is hot, brown 1 pork rack on all sides, beginning with fat side down; 4 to 5 minutes. Remove; repeat with other rack.
Put racks in pan, facing each other, fat sides out, bone ends up and intertwined. Scatter onions around pork. Drizzle onions with remaining curry oil; toss lightly. Roast until meat thermometer inserted in center registers 150 degrees and onions are softened and browned, about 1 hour.
Remove pork from pan; arrange on serving platter, bones intertwined. Surround with onions. Cover loosely with foil; let rest 20 minutes. Serve sliced into chops. Sprinkle with salt, top with apple chutney and garnish with onions. Apple Chutney
Makes about 1-1/2 cups
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 large unpeeled Gala apples, halved, cored, chopped in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 to 2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons each: country-style Dijon mustard, minced fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; stir until onions soften, 3-4 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; stir in apples. Cook, stirring frequently, until apples are translucent and lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Add brown sugar, mustard, ginger, coriander, cinnamon and a pinch cayenne pepper; stir until sugar starts to melt. Add vinegar. Heat to a simmer; cook stirring frequently until mixture thickens and liquid is syrupy; 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat; cool chutney.
Source: “Sunday Roasts: A Year’s Worth of Mouthwatering Roasts” (Chronicle Books, $24.95) by Betty Rosbottom. Roast Racks of Lamb With Pistachios
Makes 4 to 6 servings
2 racks of lamb
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots, chopped
1 bunch fresh basil and chervil
5-1/2 tablespoons chopped butter
4 slices sandwich bread
1 egg white
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-3/4 ounces pistachios
Prep: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put 2 chopped cloves garlic and 2 chopped shallots in a bowl; cover with boiling water; set aside to soften.
Put leaves from 1 bunch each fresh basil and chervil in a food processor with 5-1/2 tablespoons chopped butter; pulse until combined. Drain garlic and shallots; add to mixture along with 4 slices sandwich bread. Process to combine. Add 1 egg white; season with salt and pepper. Blend smooth. Stir in 1-3/4 ounces pistachios.
Spread mixture on meat side of racks.
Roast: Put racks, herb side up, in a roasting pan; drizzle with olive oil. Roast until thermometer inserted in center registers 130-135 degrees, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven; cover with foil. Let rest 10-15 minutes then serve.
Source: Adapted from “Rotis: Roasts for Every Day of the Week” (Melville House, $29.95) by Stephane Reynaud.
