The classic Sunday roast is a staple in most households; bringing the family together for quality time whilst indulging in a delectable assortment of meat. While one would normally cook a roast in the oven, the barbecue is great alternative for producing a juicier and richer kind of meat. Cooking a beef, lamb or chicken roast is slightly different to the way you’d cook in your regular oven. There is no difference in the way you prepare your meat, the only variance is that you will be using indirect cooking rather than the direct cooking experienced in an oven. Simply speaking, indirect cooking means that there is no heat directly under the meat while it cooks, ensuring that the bottom section of the meat doesn’t burn. If you’re planning on roasting in a BBQ, follow these simple tips for a tender, perfectly cooked piece of meat.

Cooking on a hooded BBQ

As mentioned earlier, the idea for roasting in a barbecue is to use the indirect method of cooking. Once you preheat your oven, place your meat in the centre of the BBQ and turn off the burners that lie directly under the meat. The remaining burners will conduct enough heat around the roast to cook it, but not burn or dry it out. If you’re in the market for a hooded BBQ, you can get an estimate on prices by heading to sites like barbequesgalore.com.au.

Cook Your Meat at Room Temperature

Part of cooking a succulent roast is allowing it to cook evenly and stopping it from becoming too dry. You can achieve this by letting the meat come to room temperature before placing it in the barbecue. It will also stop the steak from becoming tight and tough, allowing for a more tender and moist roast.

Allow Time For the Meat to Rest

While it’s tempting to want to start ripping the meat off the bone once it’s finished cooking, the most important part of perfecting a roasted meat is to let it rest. When the meat cooks, its fibres tense up, however, allowing it to rest for five to ten minutes will allow all those fibres to relax. Make sure you rest your meat of a drip rack to avoid it getting soggy by sitting in its own juices.

Avoid Lifting the Lid Too Often

Another tempting part of cooking a roast is the need to constantly check on it by opening the hood and prodding it with whatever utensil it at your disposal. It’s absolutely understandable, the smell in itself is so enticing and you’ve got a slight case of, is it done yet? Syndrome. You need to avoid doing this too often as you will lose ten to fifteen degrees Celsius each time, causing the BBQ to work harder to raise the temperature.

Use a Meat Thermometer

You can take all of the guesswork out of cooking your roast by investing in a meat thermometer. These nifty devices are relatively inexpensive costing around $10 from any kitchenware shop. All you need to do is simply place the meat thermometer into the thickest section of the meat (away from the bone) before cooking. Depending on the size your meat should be 60°C for rare, 65°C – 70°C for medium and 75°C for well done

Do you have any tips for cooking a roast? Let us know in the comments below.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Foodie.com. All opinions expressed are my own

When the warmer months hit our Sunday dinners start in the kitchen and then move to the outdoors where we spend our day with our friends and family. No doubt about it our family is known as “cookout central”.  Sunday is one of the only days that allow everyone to get together due to our busy schedules so we always make sure we do it big!

That also means trying new things! That is why I was excited to learn about foodie.com! I don’t know where I’ve been but this site rocks!  I am finding so many great things that I want to try! As you can see above, I have created a board on foodie.com just for Sunday cookout ideas! So, be sure to check them out!

If you’re new to Foodie.com like I am, I urge you to sign up! I promise you will love it just as much as I do. Don’t forget after you sign up be sure to follow me so I can follow you back!

But wait! Hold up! Before you run off to join, let me know what you like to serve at your cookouts.