Meat probe thermometer

One of the most useful kitchen gadgets is a meat probe

Getting your roast joint of meat cooked just the way you like it is something of a skill. If you want to take all the guesswork out of cooking meat, then I recommend using a meat probe thermometer – it’s foolproof. It makes cooking a Sunday roast a joy. This is how you get consistency, week in week out.

There are a number of different types of meat thermometer. I use a meat probe which gives you an instant reading when you insert it into the meat.

Push the pointed probe into the thickest part of the meat, making sure it doesn’t touch the bone – you’re trying to reach the centre of the meat.

I test my meat before taking it out of the oven, to check it’s got to the right temperature. If it has, I take it out, wrap it in foil and set it aside to rest, during which time the roasting will be completed.

I like to eat my beef when it has reached 48–50˚C – French medium rare. My friends prefer it at 55˚C, because they don’t like their meat as pink as I do.