Fall Roasts

 The temps are cooling and that means one thing - it's back to good old fashuioned roasts and sides. There are many you can make for these crisp , cool days and nights.

Keep in mind that roasting is changing. In out mothers" and grandmothers" day the oven was primarily used for cooking all sorts of meat. Now you can roast on your barbecue or more popularly your air fryer It makes roasting a bit more fun and interesting. If you are roasting on the grill, remember that the wood chips you use will flavor the meat. Most use hickory on beef and pork while poultry can be roasted over pecan, maple, hiickory or mesquite chips. Charcoal also works. For a traditonal flavor just rub what you;re cooking with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Try not to barbecue a fatty piece of meat because it will drip into the flames and cause a fiery flare up. The cut can rest for thirty minutes before serving. If you're going to roast chicken on the grill stick to the smaller birds like Cornish hen or poussin or a Spring chicken. The last is small young bird. with the average weight of only one pound. Remove the bag of giblets, heart and liver before cooking. These can be chopped up and used in the accompanying gravy. 

As for the air fryer, the cooking time is more or less the same as an oven. For roast beef it's usually fifteen minutes fo revery pound .  Afour pound London Broil will take about an hour. The same goes for chicken. It's thirty minutes at 350 degrees farenheit with a break after fifteeen minutes to turn the bird. Pork roast is also great , roasted in the air fryer. They skin gets extra crackly, which only elevates the flavor.It's also quicker to cook than a oven roasted one.It will probably take about fifty minutes for a two pound one. Keep seasoning simple so the flavor shines through. Of course you can go the traditional route and ove n roast your meat. Doing such allow you to collec tthe dripping to create a rich gravy. Another plus about oven roasting is that you can also roast some veggies when you're cooking that roast beef or chicken.  You could easily pop in a tray of seasoned potatoes for roasting. They make a great side for any kind of meat.Consider also Brussels sprouts , carrots and cubed sweet potatoes or yams to add to your roast.

It's time for heartier cooking. Return to roasts and sides for a good old fashioned meal. There's nothing like a satisfying dinner that's filling and delicious.