Introduction
A good roast is one of the most satisfying things you can cook. When it comes out right, the outside has a proper crust, the meat is tender all the way through, and the whole kitchen smells incredible. But there are a few things that separate a great roast from a forgettable one, and most of them come down to temperature, timing and a bit of patience.
At Diamond Blue Catering, roast meats are a big part of what we do. Our spit roast catering and feasting style menus are among our most popular options at events across Melbourne, and the techniques behind them are the same ones we use every day. Here is what we have learned from years of cooking roast meats for large groups and intimate gatherings alike.
The Golden Rules That Apply to Every Roast
Before getting into each individual meat, there are a few principles that apply across the board. Get these right and you are already most of the way there.
Start hot, then come down
The general rule for roasting any meat is to begin with a very hot oven, around 200 to 220 degrees Celsius, for the first 20 to 30 minutes. This seals the juices in and builds a proper crust on the outside. After that initial blast of heat, you bring the temperature down to around 180 degrees and let the meat finish cooking more gently. Doing it the other way around, or cooking at a single moderate temperature throughout, tends to give you a grey exterior and dry interior.
Pro tip: If your oven runs hot, check it with an oven thermometer before you start. Most home ovens are inaccurate by at least 10 to 20 degrees.
Always rest the meat before carving
Resting is not optional. When you take meat out of the oven, the juices are sitting close to the surface because the heat has pushed them outward. If you carve immediately, those juices run straight out onto your board. If you rest the meat loosely covered with foil for 10 to 20 minutes (longer for larger cuts), the juices redistribute back through the meat and every slice stays moist. This one step makes a bigger difference than most people expect.
💡 Pro tip: Loosely tented foil is the key word here. Wrapping it tightly traps steam and softens any crust you have worked to build.
Use a meat thermometer
Eye-balling doneness by time alone is unreliable. Different ovens, different cuts and different bone-in versus boneless weights all affect cooking time. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out completely and means you never have to cut into the meat to check. Internal temperatures for each meat are covered in the individual sections below.
Roast Pork: How to Get Perfect Crackling Every Time
Pork is arguably the most rewarding roast to get right because when it works, the crackling is extraordinary. When it does not, it is a bit sad. The good news is that crackling comes down to a handful of controllable factors.
Prepare the skin properly
Your butcher will usually score the skin for you, but if they have not, use a sharp knife or a Stanley knife to make cuts about 1 centimetre apart across the entire surface. These cuts allow the salt and heat to penetrate the skin and are what creates the bubbling effect that gives you crackling rather than rubbery skin.
Once scored, pat the skin completely dry with paper towel. Any moisture on the surface will steam instead of roast, and steamed skin does not crackle. If you have time, leave the scored pork uncovered in the fridge overnight. The cold dry air will draw out even more moisture from the skin, and your crackling will be noticeably better for it.
Salt it generously
Rub a generous amount of fine salt all over the dry skin, making sure it gets into the score lines. Salt draws out moisture and seasons the skin at the same time. Do not use oil on the skin itself because it adds moisture. You can rub oil and seasoning on the underside of the meat if you like.
The oven method
Start at 220 to 240 degrees Celsius for the first 20 to 25 minutes. This is where the crackling develops. Then drop to 180 degrees for the remainder of the cooking time, which is roughly 25 minutes per 500 grams depending on the cut.
If the crackling is not quite there at the end of cooking, remove it carefully, lay it flat on a baking tray and put it back in a very hot oven or under the grill for 5 to 10 minutes while the meat rests. This rescue method works more often than not.
💡 Pro tip: A pork shoulder will give you more forgiving crackling than a leg. The higher fat content keeps the meat moist even if the timing is slightly off.
Internal temperature for roast pork
Aim for 70 to 75 degrees Celsius at the thickest part of the meat. Pork does not need to be cooked as hard as people once thought. At 70 degrees it will be properly cooked and still have some moisture left in it.
Roast Lamb: Getting the Flavour Right
Lamb has a strong natural flavour that works beautifully with herbs, garlic and a little acidity. Get the marinade right and even a simple leg of lamb becomes something special.
How we prepare our lamb
We source our lamb legs boned and netted from the butcher. Boning and netting keeps the shape neat during cooking, makes carving much easier and means the marinade gets into the centre of the meat rather than just sitting on the outside.
The marinade
Our lamb marinade is straightforward but it works every time: fresh rosemary, crushed garlic, olive oil, a splash of red wine, salt and pepper. Rub it all over the meat, get it into any gaps and folds, and leave it for at least a few hours. Overnight is better. The rosemary and garlic will perfume the meat right through and the red wine adds a depth of flavour that you just do not get from dry roasting alone.
💡 Pro tip: If you want to go a step further, push slivers of garlic directly into small cuts made with a knife across the surface of the meat before marinating. The garlic roasts inside the lamb and the flavour is remarkable.
Cooking temperature and doneness
Lamb is best served medium, which means pulling it from the oven at around 60 degrees Celsius internal temperature. At this point the centre will still have a slight pink blush to it, which is ideal. If you cook it to well done you will lose the tenderness that makes lamb worth eating.
Start at 200 to 220 degrees for the first 20 minutes to get a crust going, then reduce to 180 degrees for the rest of the cooking time. A boned and netted leg typically takes 20 to 25 minutes per 500 grams at 180 degrees after the initial blast.
Resting lamb
Lamb benefits from a slightly longer rest than beef or pork. For a full leg, 15 to 20 minutes loosely foiled is ideal. The meat will still be hot when you carve it, and the texture will be noticeably more tender than if you had gone straight from oven to board.
Roast Beef: Building a Crust and Keeping the Centre Pink
A good roast beef is all about balance: a dark, savoury crust on the outside and a tender, juicy centre. The challenge is achieving both at the same time, and it is entirely doable once you understand how heat moves through the meat.
Our marinade for roast beef
We marinate our beef in seeded mustard, dried mixed herbs, salt, pepper and red wine. The mustard does a few things at once: it helps the crust form, adds flavour and acts as a binder for the herbs and seasoning. Red wine tenderises the meat slightly and adds colour to the crust. Marinate for at least a few hours, overnight if you can manage it.
The sear and roast method
Start the beef at 220 degrees Celsius for the first 20 to 25 minutes. You will see the outside start to darken and the crust beginning to set. Then bring the oven down to 180 degrees for the rest of the cook. This two-stage approach is what gives you that proper roast beef exterior rather than a pale, steamed surface.
💡 Pro tip: Take the beef out of the fridge an hour before it goes into the oven. Cold meat takes longer to cook evenly and you can end up with overcooked edges and an undercooked centre.
Internal temperatures for roast beef
This is where a thermometer earns its place in the kitchen:
- Rare: 52 to 55 degrees Celsius
- Medium rare: 57 to 60 degrees Celsius
- Medium: 63 to 65 degrees Celsius
- Well done: 70 degrees Celsius and above
Pull the beef 3 to 5 degrees before your target temperature. The internal temperature will continue to rise during resting, and you do not want to overshoot it.
Resting roast beef
Rest your beef for at least 15 minutes for a smaller roast, and up to 30 minutes for a large piece like a whole rib eye or standing rib roast. Tent it loosely with foil and leave it somewhere warm. By the time you carve, the juices will have settled back into the meat and every slice will hold together and stay moist.
Roast Chicken: The One Most People Get Wrong
Roast chicken is one of the most common roasts and also one of the most commonly overcooked. The breast dries out well before the thighs are done, and you end up with a bird where half the meat is great and the other half is chalky. A few simple adjustments fix this completely.
Preparation
Pat the chicken dry inside and out with paper towel before seasoning. Dry skin browns and crisps. Wet skin steams. If you have time, leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge for an hour or two before roasting to further dry the skin out.
Rub butter or olive oil all over the skin and season generously with salt and pepper. You can also push softened butter mixed with garlic and herbs directly under the skin of the breast, which keeps the breast meat moist from the inside as it cooks.
Cooking temperature and time
Cook the chicken at 200 degrees Celsius for the first 15 minutes to get the skin going, then at 180 degrees for the remainder. A standard 1.5 to 2 kilogram chicken will take around 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes in total. Add roughly 20 minutes per extra 500 grams for larger birds.
💡 Pro tip: Roast the chicken on a rack inside your roasting tray. Hot air circulating underneath the bird means the bottom skin crisps properly rather than sitting in the pan juices and going soft.
How to know when chicken is done
The safest and most reliable method is a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. You are looking for 74 degrees Celsius. If you do not have a thermometer, pierce the thigh with a skewer and check that the juices run completely clear with no pink tinge.
Resting chicken
Rest the chicken for at least 10 minutes before carving. It does not need as long as a large roast, but those 10 minutes genuinely matter. The breast meat in particular will stay much more moist if you give it time to settle.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cooking Roast Meats
Q: What temperature should I roast meat at?
Start every roast at a high temperature, around 200 to 220 degrees Celsius, for the first 20 to 30 minutes. This builds a crust and seals in the juices. Then reduce to 180 degrees for the remainder of the cooking time. The exact timing depends on the meat and the size of the cut, but the two-stage method applies to beef, lamb, pork and chicken.
Q: How do I get perfect pork crackling?
Score the skin, pat it completely dry and rub fine salt all over it before roasting. Do not put oil on the skin. Cook at 220 to 240 degrees Celsius for the first 20 to 25 minutes, then reduce the heat. If the crackling still needs more time at the end, remove it from the meat, lay it flat on a tray and finish it under a very hot grill for 5 to 10 minutes.
Q: How long should I rest roast meat before carving?
As a general guide: 10 minutes for chicken, 15 minutes for lamb and medium-sized beef roasts, and 20 to 30 minutes for large cuts like a whole rib eye or a full leg. Cover loosely with foil and keep in a warm spot. The resting time allows the juices to redistribute through the meat so they do not run out when you carve.
Q: What internal temperature should roast beef be?
Rare is 52 to 55 degrees Celsius, medium rare is 57 to 60 degrees, medium is 63 to 65 degrees and well done is 70 degrees and above. Always pull the meat from the oven 3 to 5 degrees before your target because the temperature continues to rise during resting.
Q: Should I cover roast meat while it cooks?
No. Covering roast meat with foil during cooking traps steam and prevents the crust from forming. Cook uncovered throughout. If the meat is browning too quickly on top before it is cooked through, you can loosely tent foil over just the top for the last portion of cooking time, but the default is always uncovered. Foil is for resting, not cooking.
Q: Can I cook roast meats for a large event at home?
It is possible but scaling up home roasting gets complicated quickly. Oven capacity, timing across multiple cuts and keeping everything hot at the same time are the main challenges. If you are feeding a larger group, it is worth looking at professional spit roast catering or our feasting style menu, which are both designed for exactly this situation and take all of the logistics off your hands.
Q: What is the best marinade for roast lamb?
Fresh rosemary, crushed garlic, olive oil, a splash of red wine, salt and pepper. Marinate the lamb for at least a few hours, overnight if possible. Push slivers of garlic directly into small cuts across the surface of the meat for even more depth of flavour.
Quick Roasting Reference Guide
These are approximate guides. Always use a meat thermometer for accuracy.
Roast Pork
- Initial oven temp: 220 to 240 degrees Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes
- Reduce to: 180 degrees Celsius
- Time at reduced temp: approx 25 minutes per 500g
- Target internal temp: 70 to 75 degrees Celsius
- Rest time: 15 minutes
Roast Lamb
- Initial oven temp: 200 to 220 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes
- Reduce to: 180 degrees Celsius
- Time at reduced temp: approx 20 to 25 minutes per 500g (boned)
- Target internal temp: 60 degrees Celsius for medium
- Rest time: 15 to 20 minutes
Roast Beef
- Initial oven temp: 220 degrees Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes
- Reduce to: 180 degrees Celsius
- Time at reduced temp: approx 20 minutes per 500g for medium rare
- Target internal temp: 57 to 60 degrees Celsius for medium rare
- Rest time: 15 to 30 minutes depending on size
Roast Chicken
- Initial oven temp: 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes
- Reduce to: 180 degrees Celsius
- Time at reduced temp: approx 20 minutes per 500g
- Target internal temp: 74 degrees Celsius in the thigh
- Rest time: 10 minutes
Prefer to Leave the Roasting to Someone Else?
If you are feeding a crowd and the idea of managing multiple roasts at once sounds like too much work, that is exactly what we are here for. At Diamond Blue Catering, roast meats are a speciality. Our spit roast catering is one of our most popular options at events across Melbourne, and our feasting style menu is built around exactly this kind of generous, meat-forward cooking.
We also offer a gourmet BBQ catering menu for outdoor events, and our hot and cold buffet works beautifully when you need to cater for a larger group with a mix of different tastes. Whatever the event, get in touch and we will work out the right fit for you.