What is a rolled roast?
A rolled roast is a wonderful main course for the festive season. A rolled roast is a rolled piece of meat held together with butcher’s twine. Rolled roasts are traditionally eaten on special occasions, such as Christmas and birthdays, when several people gather for dinner. But a rolled roast is also a typical Sunday dish, as it can be prepared perfectly in advance and is eaten both hot and cold. Sliced very thinly, rolled roast can even be eaten as a sandwich filling. There are countless varieties of rolled roast, including pork neck rolled roast, loin rolled roast, pork tenderloin rolled roast, chicken thigh rolled roast, etc.
The definition of a rolled roast according to Wikipedia: a rolled roast is a meat dish in which different seasoned slices of meat are rolled around one another. Rolling and tying a rolled roast is a traditional butcher’s craft. Industrially produced rolled roasts are often held together in netting.
Cooking a rolled roast
How long should you cook a Christmas rolled roast? This depends on the thickness of the meat, but on average you can allow around 4 minutes to sear it on all sides. The meat should be completely golden brown all around before it goes into the oven. Always sear the rolled roast first in a sturdy pan, then continue cooking it in its own cooking fat in an oven dish in a preheated oven. The best way to do this is to use a meat thermometer. In the video below from Butchery’s One Minute Grill Academy, chef Ruben Meijboom explains in a nutshell how to prepare a rolled roast in the best way.
Rolled roast from the oven
A Christmas rolled roast can therefore be prepared perfectly well in the oven, which is ideal if you need the hob for preparing side dishes, for example. At Christmas, you often serve a full multi-course dinner, and everything needs to be ready on time to serve. We think it is particularly convenient if you can move something from the hob to the oven. Just make sure you sear the Christmas rolled roast briefly before transferring it to the oven.
Rolled roast from the BBQ
Anything you can cook in the oven can also be cooked on the BBQ, provided you have a BBQ that can replicate an oven. Do you need the oven for all your side dishes, or are you a true BBQ lover? Then it is ideal that you can also prepare your Christmas rolled roast on the BBQ. This leaves the oven free for side dishes, for example.
Chicken, beef or pork rolled roast?
There is plenty to choose from! The Butchery offers a variety of rolled roasts. From a beautiful stuffed ribeye rolled roast to a tender pork neck rolled roast, or from a delicious chicken thigh rolled roast to a mixed pork and beef rolled roast. All rolled roasts are made with love by our butchers. The pork neck rolled roast from Limburgs Kloostervarken is our absolute bestselling rolled roast. The marbling ensures that the rolled roast cannot dry out.
Core temperature for Christmas rolled roast
Want to make sure your rolled roast is perfect? Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check whether the rolled roast is cooked. After all, you do not want to sit down to dinner with a rolled roast that looks perfect on the outside but is still completely raw on the inside.
A chicken rolled roast should always be fully cooked, which you achieve at a core temperature of 72 °C. Another trick for checking whether your chicken rolled roast is cooked is to make a small cut in it. Are the liquid and juices clear? Then the chicken rolled roast is cooked!
For a pork rolled roast, you cannot go wrong with a core temperature of 63 to 65 °C. You can eat a beef rolled roast exactly the way you like it: 52 °C for rare, 54 °C for medium rare, 57 °C for medium and 62 °C for well done. The major exception is the chuck eye rolled roast. This should always reach a core temperature of 65 °C.
What do you eat with a Christmas rolled roast?
As befits a classic Christmas roast, a rolled roast is excellent with grilled vegetables and potatoes, for example — gratin, baked, roasted or boiled, whichever you prefer. A good sauce, such as a creamy mushroom sauce with a pork neck rolled roast, is certainly a great choice too!
Vegetables with rolled roast
Traditional vegetable dishes such as green beans wrapped in bacon and stewed pears always work well with a rolled roast. Other options include chicory gratin, cauliflower with hazelnuts and thyme, or Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar. A vegetable traybake is always a great choice too and looks fantastic as well. Choose different vegetables such as parsnips, carrots and beetroot and cut them into equal-sized pieces. Add crushed garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. After 20 minutes to half an hour in the oven, you will have a beautiful, colourful side dish!