Holiday Roasts Tips & Tricks

As we turn the corner into the holiday season, planning a dinner for two becomes a grander plan for a dinner of 22.   Here are some easy tips and tricks for your holiday roasts. 

Duck, Turkey, Capon and Goose:
Generally, a good thing to do for poultry when preparing for an oven or barbeque roast is to loosen the skin from the flesh with your hands. Once the skin is loosened you can apply butter as well as your favorite herbs and garlic.  The advantage to rubbing the flesh under the skin will be the flavoring of the white breast meat that is not as flavorful as the dark.

If you have the time, research a brining recipe from respected websites. Brining is an easy and efficient way to ensure your turkey or capon does not dry out before the big dinner. Also, if you are cooking a goose it is advisable to prick the fat with a sharply tipped knife to allow the fat to escape and render. This will also get the skin quite crispy.

Beef Roasts:
The most popular roasts at our butcher shop during the holiday season are Prime Rib and Beef Tenderloin Centre Cut roasts.   In both instances we advise that the first and most important step is to allow your roast to come to room temperature before it hits-the-heat.  This will facilitate in more even cooking, as the inside will not be chilled resulting in an even doneness throughout.   Another important step prior to cooking your roast is to salt and pepper before you rub with vegetable oil (olive oil will burn).   The reason is that salt does not dissolve into oil.

For old-school fun, decorative bone covers are good way to dress up your buffet with ease. Simply cut a clean regular letter size piece of paper in half, fold in half again and then slice every inch a slit along the sheet about one inch below the fold. Tape ends together.

Lamb:
A lamb roast is good way to break up the beef and turkey holiday dinner cycle.  The best way to control lamb taste is to ask your butcher what the weight of the lamb was before cut. For instance, at Olliffe our Bruce County lamb is grown to at most 60lb (which is quite young) resulting in a very tender and mild flavor.  As lamb grows in pasture generally the more gamier a taste occurs eventually becoming mutton.   WIth your next leg of lamb roast try very narrow slits in the leg and stuffing with garlic, herbs and anchovies for added flavor.

Pork Roasts:
A good roast with “wow” factor is a rack of pork or for even more skilled presentation ask for a Crown Rack of Pork for larger groups. You should ask your butcher to “French” the bones as well as to tie back on the hard fat which will crisp up into delicious crackling.  All good butchers will do this for you upon request, however be prepared for a bit of wait during the holiday rush – order ahead.  Furthermore the same rules apply for pork as beef for pre-roasting.