How can I make my roast dinner better for a dinner party?!

Classic Roast Dinner
See also:
* Balsamic roast chicken
* Roast rack of lamb
* Roast portk with crackling
* 2.25kg large piece beef
* 25g beef dripping or 2 tbsp vegetable oil
* 2 tbsp plain flour
* gravy browning
* For the Yorkshire pudding:
* 150g plain flour
* 2 large eggs
* 300ml milk
* 3 tbsp fat from the roast beef or use beef dripping or vegetable oil
* For the roasted vegetables:
* 1.35kg medium potatoes, cut into even pieces
* 4 carrots, quartered lengthways
* 4 large parsnips, quartered lengthways

Serves: 4 Preparation: 40 Cook Time: 145 Total Time: 185min

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Calculate the meat cooking time, allowing about 20-25 minutes per 450g/1lb plus 20-30 minutes extra depending on whether you like meat that's cooked pink, medium with a touch of pink in the middle, or well done throughout.
2. Season the surface of the meat with salt and black pepper and place in a roasting tin. The size of the tin you choose really depends on whether you are going to cook the roast vegetables around the meat, or in a separate tin. Add the dripping or oil.
3. Cook for the calculated time less 40 minutes, basting occasionally. If you think the outside of the meat is getting too brown, cover it lightly with kitchen foil.
4. Meanwhile, make the Yorkshire pudding batter and prepare the vegetables. For the batter, put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the eggs and then the milk a little at a time, beating to give a thick, smooth batter. Stir in 150ml cold water. Cover and leave to one side until required. Alternatively, you can whizz all of the ingredients together in a liquidiser goblet if you have one, but you have to remember to make the milk up to 450ml with cold water.
5. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and just cover with cold water. Bring to a fast, rolling boil then drain, reserving the water. Return them to the pan and shake vigorously to soften the edges and leave to one side.
6. Place the carrots and parsnips in a large saucepan and cover with the reserved water (add more water if necessary) and bring just to the boil. Drain, reserving 170ml of the water for the gravy.
7. Forty minutes before the end of the calculated cooking time, remove the meat from the oven and add all the vegetables to the roasting tin. Season generously and toss well. Return to the oven.
8. Ten minutes before the end of the calculated cooking time, remove the meat from the oven and pour off bsp roasting fat (if available, otherwise use melted beef dripping or vegetable oil). Return the meat to the oven and pour 2 tsp fat into each of bun tins. Increase the oven temperature to 220C/450F/gas mark 7 and place the tins at the top of the oven for the fat to heat, it needs to be very hot before you add the batter
9. Remove the meat from the oven but leave the vegetables to cook. Wrap the beef in kitchen foil and leave to rest.
10. . Stir the batter, then remove the tins from the oven and pour in the batter to fill each space and return to the oven. The puddings will take 20 to 30 minutes, to rise and crisp.
11. . After 25 minutes, check on the puddings and quickly remove the vegetables from the oven. Test them with a skewer to check they are tender and cooked right through, then transfer to a warmed serving plate or dish.
12. . Stir the flour into the meat juices in the roasting tin and cook over a gentle heat until absorbed and browned. Stir in the reserved vegetable water. Simmer until lightly thickened. Add gravy browning if you like your gravy to be dark in colour. Season the gravy, strain into a warmed jug and serve with the meat, veg and Yorkshire puddings.

This Standing Rib Roast Recipe is the best!


Standing Rib Roast

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004



http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/standing-rib-roast-recipe/index.html

If you want your roast to be great please cut the roast against the grain this way it wont be tough. And please please please don't overcook the roast!