Weights

How much do I need per person?

We recommend 200-250g of meat per person. If you are cooking for two, that’s 400-500g; 800g to 1kg for four, 1.2kg to 1.5kg for six and 1.6kg to 2kg for eight. This is based on there being no or very little bone. For a bone-in product, you will need 500g per person. So, a whole turkey would need to weight 2kg for four, 3kg for six and 4kg for eight. This is for one meal so allow more if you would like to have enough for the next few days. A pheasant will feed two, a partridge one. A larger duck, like a mallard, will feed two to three people when roasted whole. We recommend a breast each, if you buy them separately. Our smaller chickens will feed 3-4 (circa 1.8kg) and our larger chickens will feed 5-6 (circa 2kg).

Cooking Guidelines

Some basics when using the oven.

  1. Preheat the oven to the desired temperature before you put your food in.

  2. Check whether the recipe temperature is referring to a conventional or fan-assisted oven. Fan-assisted oven temperatures are lower.

  3. Bring the meat/poultry to room temperature before cooking.

We recommend using a temperature probe to check the internal temperature when cooking. This will help ensure your food is safe to eat and cooked how you like it. You can find the recommended internal temperature for what you are cooking by searching on Google. There are lots of options on the market - we use a Thermapen at home. Make sure the probe is clean before and after you use it.

How do I cook this?

Given the myriad of different food types and the variety of recipes available, we have included some very basic guidelines, rather than complete recipes. The temperatures cited below are in celsius and are for conventional and fan-assisted ovens. The higher temperature is for a conventional oven and the lower temperature is for a fan-assisted oven.

  • Turkey - Room temperature (remove from the fridge an hour before you start cooking). Brush skin with melted butter and season with salt and pepper and cover breasts with streaky bacon, if desired. 190/170 30 mins per kilo tented with foil to keep the bird moist. Remove foil for last 30 mins. Probe thickest parts of breast and legs to ensure juices run clear and check internal temperature has reached 70. Rest for 90 mins covered in a towel to keep it warm before carving.

  • Chicken - Room temperature (remove from fridge an hour before you start cooking). Brush skin with melted butter and season with salt and pepper and cover breasts with streaky bacon, if desired. 190/170 20 mins per 450g plus 10-20 mins. 220/200 for last 15 mins to colour and crisp skin. Probe thickest parts of breast and legs to ensure juices run clear and check internal temperature has reached 70. Rest for 30 mins.

  • Short Ribs - 150/130 6 hours

  • Brisket - 150/130 6 hours

  • Stuffed Lamb Breast - 160/140 2 hours

  • Stuffed Belly - 200/180 30 mins, 180/160 2 hours, 220/200 30 mins

  • Silverside - 220/200 20 mins, 190/170 20 mins per 500g and core temp of 56 plus 20 mins resting for medium rare

  • Topside - 240/220 20 mins, 180/170 15 mins per 500g and core temp of 52 plus 20 mins resting for medium rare

  • Pork Shoulder - 220/200 30 mins, 180/160 35 mins per 500g and core temp of 75 plus 20 mins resting

  • Pork Leg - 220/200 30 mins, 180/160 35 mins per 500g plus 35 mins and core temp of 75 plus 20 mins resting

  • Pork Belly - Dry, score and salt then 220/200 30 mins, 180/160 35 mins per 500g plus 35 mins and core temp of 75 plus 20 mins resting

  • Lamb Shoulder - 220/200 brown on each side for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 160/140 for 3.5 to 4 hours

  • Lamb Leg - 200/180 brown on each side for 15 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180/160 for 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on how you like it plus 20 mins resting

  • Ribeye, Sirloin & Rump Steak

    Sear quickly on both sides in a small amount of oil to colour and caramelise when the frying pan is really hot. Ensure the fat, if included, is seared too. Turn the heat down and continue cooking until the internal temperature is 52 for rare, 54-57 for medium rare, 58-63 for medium, 71 for medium to well done and 73 for well done. You can lap the steak with butter towards the end for a richer flavour and glossy appearance, if desired. Rest for 5-10 mins to allow it to relax. Ribeye has more intramuscular fat than most other types of steak, which lends itself to cooking slightly more so medium rare or the lower end of medium. This will cook the intramuscular fat, make it more tender and release more flavour.

  • Forerib - 220/200 20 mins, 160/140 15 mins per 500g and core temp of 52 plus 20 mins resting for medium rare

  • Pork Tenderloin - Sear sides quickly in a hot pan and cook to an internal temperature of 68-70 until the centre is no longer pink and the juices run clear when probed. Rest for 10 mins.

  • Venison - 200/180 15 mins per 500g and core temp of 55 plus 20 mins resting for medium rare

  • Pheasant - Brown breasts in a hot pan for 3-5 mins then season with salt and pepper and finish in the oven at 200/180 until the core temp of the breast is 63 and the legs are 80. The juices should be clear when probed. Rest for 20 mins before serving.

  • Partridge - Brown breasts in a hot pan for 3-5 mins then season with salt and pepper and finish in the oven at 200/180 until the core temp of the breast is 63. This should take about 25-30 mins. The juices should be clear when probed. Rest for 10 mins before serving.