A roast Sunday lunch...how many still cook one?

BodieGirl

I love roast dinners and would have one every Sunday growing up at my nan's house.

I can cook a lovely roast but I agree with those who say it seems to be more effort than it's worth - hours slaving away, trying to time it all etc plus the clearing up - all for it to be gobbled down in five minutes! When I've cooked lunches/dinners all week for a fussy DF and child with food allergies, I'm sick of cooking by the weekend.

I think I've got the perfect roast to an art now . . we have 3 sets of parents (my parents are separated) so they all get a visit once a month on a Sunday (and cook our dinner!) plus there is Toby/crown carvery for the fourth Sunday of the month.

Happy Days!!

CupOfChai

I've done a couple, so I know I can do them, despite my current kitchen being about the size of the dancefloor in a working men's club...

I dream that one day I will be able to buy that house and then I'll have people over for massive Sunday roasts that go on all afternoon... *drifts off*

daisiegg

I have such fond memories of Sunday roasts growing up. My mum would have got the meat in the oven on a timer so the house smelled amazing when we got back from church. From the age of about 10, I would be responsible for making the crumble and custard for dessert. We'd eat lunch fairly early and always go for a walk in the forest or a bike ride in the afternoon. Sunday tea would be bread based - toast or apple sandwiches (I know, weird!) and we'd have Sunday night hair wash and my mum drying our hair in the living room with us sitting on the floor in front of her on the sofa. Monday dinner would always be leftovers - chicken pie or rissoles if it was pork or beef. Monday and Tuesday lunchboxes for school would be roast meat sandwiches.

Now it is my husband and I, we don't do a roast in the summer months but I probably do one twice a month once it gets colder. I'm doing pork tomorrow and having my parents and sister over.

I am determined when I have children to have a similar family routine as I did on Sundays growing up so I will probably try and do a roast more often, though I won't as though I absolutely have to do one every single week.

I enjoy a roast, anyway. My roast potatoes are legendary in my family and I made lovely gravy from scratch and vary the veg. Yum.

daisiegg

notanewuser wrote: »

If we have guests I do go to town on a roast. The milk for cauliflower cheese gets flavoured with onion, bayleaf and peppercorns. Crackling gets cracked, yorkshire puddings are made from scratch, spuds get steamed, shaken and roasted. I don't go for half measures.
t.

This sounds like a normal roast to me yum

[Deleted User]

Although of limited budget, we do tend to have a sunday roast. I find if i buy a large chicken for £5, its enough for two big family meals. If I can afford it, I splurge and get lamb or some other joint (Gawd I miss being close to B'ham Indoor Market, there was a stall there where I could usually persuade a butcher to let me have an enormous joint for a fiver that usually stretched to three meals each).

If I am too busy to cook it on a Sunday, I do it on another day of the week.

The kids love it. Its the one meal where I don't have to cook two or three different meals so I save on the washing up too.

Thanks to Jamie Oliver.., I can even cook a nice Turkey for Christmas (thank you Jamie, no more dried out tasteless leather served up). I don't consider it any more trouble than spending an hour chopping veg for a bumper sized portion of spag bog, then a further hour cooking it on the hob (I do put what remains in the freezer, I do mean bumper lol).

Arthien

deannatrois wrote: »

I don't consider it any more trouble than spending an hour chopping veg for a bumper sized portion of spag bog, then a further hour cooking it on the hob (I do put what remains in the freezer, I do mean bumper lol).

Slightly OT perhaps, but I can thoroughly recommend bolognaise in the slow cooker (on low overnight if possible), it's a winner every time in this house!

Unfortunately I hardly ever do roast dinner these days, we just don't have time on the weekend, and we're not often home. My MIL does a cracking Sunday roast though, so we make the most of it when we visit. My DH does moan about the lack of roast dinner sometimes, but I've told him he's quite welcome to spend his Sunday in the kitchen if he wants, and he hasn't taken me up on the offer yet...

daisiegg

Arthien wrote: »

Slightly OT perhaps, but I can thoroughly recommend bolognaise in the slow cooker (on low overnight if possible), it's a winner every time in this house!

.

Nooooo I think slow cooker food tastes horrid especially something like bolognaise that really needs to simmer and reduce to get a rich sauce! Just another example of how we are all different :rotfl:

sooty&sweep

Hi
We often have a roast or homemade pie. My children love roasts and I usually get a bigger joint and use the leftovers for a meal during the week. Roast shoulder of pork is a favourite. It does take a little work but once you get to know the timings its not too bad.

I often put a casserole/curry in the oven at the same time to eat during the week.

Jen

aliwali

We have roast every Sunday and homemade pudding. We only have pudding twice a week Sunday and Thursday which is vegetarian night. Always buy big enough for leftovers, definitely cuts down on meat cost during the week. As far as yorkies go I use a Jamie Oliver recipe and it works great every time. 3 eggs, 4oz flour, half pint milk. Makes 12 so we use 6 and freeze rest for ease the following week.

Arthien

daisiegg wrote: »

Nooooo I think slow cooker food tastes horrid especially something like bolognaise that really needs to simmer and reduce to get a rich sauce! Just another example of how we are all different :rotfl:

That's why it needs to be be done low and slow! Not too much liquid, plenty of tomato passata and some cornflour to thicken is the key. Plus it means waking up to the most amazing smell! Slow cooker food which is just floating bits in a watery 'sauce' is indeed horrible though _pale_

I'm definitely going to have to use the suggestions given in this thread and finally attempt my own Yorkshire puddings soon, although I'm still quite scared about the combination of my accident-proneness and very very hot fat :eek: