How to make the most of your roast

How to make the most of your roast

Unilever Food Solutions’ pub expert Chris Barber shares his top tips on making the perfect roast.

>> A roast dinner is one of Britain’s favourite dishes, and should always

be a popular menu item. While the classic formula of meat, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables, roast potatoes and gravy is always a winner, there are some simple twists operators can consider to ensure they’re making the most

of their roast.

Here are my top tips:

CHEAPER CUTS OF MEAT

A simple way operators can reap maximum rewards from their roast is by rediscovering one of the cheaper, but highly fashionable cuts of meat, such as beef brisket or pork shoulder, which are now bang on trend. The key to many of these cheaper cuts is to cook them slowly, which tenderises the meat and really brings out the flavour.

ROAST DINNER WITH A TWIST

Pubs can benefit from thinking outside the box in terms of how they look at a roast dinner. It doesn’t have to be about the traditional combination of meat and two veg. Think about offering lentils, pulses and grains or glazed spinach to give customers something different.

THE PERFECT BALANCE

To ensure your roast dinners are cost-effective, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to portion size and the balance of meat and vegetables. It’s tempting to woo diners by piling on the meat, but this can be expensive and potentially off-putting – too much is as bad as too little. For many, the appeal of a great roast is all the extras. So give customers lots of crispy roast potatoes, loads of veg, sauces and lots of delicious gravy. This can help to manage the costs by reducing the most expensive element.

GET THE GRAVY RIGHT

Gravy often gets overlooked when it comes to recipes for the perfect roast.
Chefs can make gravy really special by adding a few simple ingredients to gravy products like Knorr Gravy Paste or Gravy Granules. Just pouring the gravy in the pan after the meat has been roasted is a really effective way to add extra flavour, but it often gets forgotten. Chefs who wish to go one step further can roast the meat, pour off the fat, add red wine and gravy mix, then cook in a pan with real meat juices left over from the roast. This is a method that’s become lost over the years, but it’s very simple and tasty.

A ROAST FOR ALL SEASONS

Roasts are loved around the world, not just in the UK, and offering a more European influenced roast dinner can be just as rewarding, particularly in the summer.

For example, a roasted chicken with salad, mayo and chips is a really delicious alternative for a hot summer day.

BRITISH ROAST DINNER WEEK IS BACK

This year Knorr Gravy is once again sponsoring British Roast Dinner Week,which is supported by Colman’s, and takes place between September 29 and October 5.

The campaign encourages consumers and pubs to ‘toast the roast’ and prove that roast dinners – the nation’s favourite meal – are not just for Sundays. As part of our British Roast Dinner Week campaign, we’ve been on the hunt to find Britain’s Best Roast Dinner. We’ll be revealing who won this year’s title at the end of British Roast Dinner Week.Visit www.ufs.com/pubs to find out more.