It’s time for a roast pork dinner. Whether you prefer loin, belly or shoulder, your choice of Australian pork cut deserves a long stint in the oven before being revealed as the dinner table’s piece’ de resistance. You’ll fight for the last piece of crackling, especially once you discover the secrets to making the perfect roast pork.

1. Invest in the perfect dish
Buy a heavy, flameproof baking dish, as it will give the best colour and flavour to the pan juices – important for a good gravy. Flameproof means it can go on the stovetop and under the grill as well as in the oven.

2. Seal it before you roast it
Brown small or lean roasts – such as beef eye fillet or lamb rump – all over in a little oil before roasting. As they are in the oven for a short time, it will help the colour and, therefore, the flavour, and seal in the juices.

3. Use a thermometer
To take the guesswork out of cooking times, use a meat thermometer. Remove the roast from the oven and insert a thermometer into the thickest part. The internal temperature should reach:
Beef and lamb: rare 60°C; medium 65°C to 70°C; well-done 75°C.
Pork: 74°C to 76°C.
Chicken:** 75°C.

**4. Small roast? Turn up the heat.
Smaller cuts of meat with less fat should be cooked at a higher temperature. Larger cuts of meat can be cooked at a lower temperature for longer.

Cuts of meat to roast

Pork: Leg roast; rolled loin; loin rack; belly; spare ribs; forequarter roast; scotch fillet/neck roast.