Cooking tips and timing
recommendations
These are general recommendations to help you plan happy, relaxed (?!) festive meals. Please note that certain
types of cookers - fan, combination, AGA - cook in a different way. The instruction books or websites should be consulted
for absolute guidance. All recommendations here are minutes per 500g (1lb).
We unreservedly recommend the use of a digital meat thermometer. They cost very little and make very useful
Christmas presents.
Beef, Lamb, Pork & Gammon Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Goose
Cover with foil until the last 20 minutes
when foil should be removed to allow
browning/crackling/glazing.
Cover with foil until the last 20 minutes
when foil should be removed to allow
browning.
Roast at 180’C for 20 minutes plus the
following:
Rare
12 min per 500g(1lb)
Medium
15 min per 500g(1lb)
Well Done
20 min per 500g(1lb)
Type: Goose
Temp: 220’C
Time: 15 min
Beef and Lamb: Remove foil for final
20 minutes to brown.
Pork: For good crackling rub plenty of
salt into rind before cooking. Remove
foil and increase temperature to 240’C
for final 20 minutes. N.B. Although
there is no reason not to do so, it is
very unusual to present pork rare.
Gammon: Cook at the 20 minutes plus
20 minutes per 500g(1lb) rate. Remove
foil and apply glaze (e.g. honey and/or
mustard) for final 20 minutes.
If you are salt averse, soak the
gammon overnight in water before
cooking.
Duck Turkey & Chicken
200’C 180’C
20 min 20 min per 500g(1lb)
To avoid the breast meat becoming dry,
cook the bird breast downwards for the
first half of the cooking time.
Guide quantities
Raw bone in weight
Raw boneless weight
Conversions
‘C
180’
200’
220’
‘F
350’
400’
425’
Gas
4
6
7
400g (12oz)
250g (8oz)
(per adult)
AGA
Top oven is around
180’C / 200’C but
cooking times vary.
Consult book or
website.
Internal temperatures
The only way to be absolutely sure
that meat or poultry is safely
cooked is to use a meat
thermometer in the deepest
muscle area.
Beef/Lamb/Pork
Well done
72’C
Medium
65’C
Beef / Lamb
Medium rare 60’C
Rare
55’C
Ham
75’C
Poultry
75’C
If you do not have a meat thermometer, safe
internal temperature has been reached with
meat and poultry when juices, extracted from
the deepest muscle by piercing with a skewer,
run clear.
Useful websites:
www.eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfoodsafe/
www.fsis.usda.gov/is_it_done_yet/